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Publsher of Twas The Night Before Christmas edited by Santa Claus edited for the benefit of children of the 21st. century. First time in history classic poem edited to delete the reference and depiction of Santa smoking a pipe and being encircled in a wreath of smoke.
Published in hardcover in English, Spanish and French. Winner of Global International Ebook Award best Christian Children's Book for 2012. Ebook best seller on Amazon.com in "American Poetry", available also in all three languages. Gold Medal winner of best holiday book Moonbeam Children's Book Awards 2012. "Mayor Bloomberg would love this book" writes the New York Post. Kirkus Review calls the edit "legitimate" and the critics say this edit goes too far. Public health love the book for advancing the need to more action for tobacco prevention to help chldren not get started. The media attention was intense when the critics from academia labelled the edit censorship. The publisher denied this charge saying that as smoke-full books were still available this was an issue of freedom of speech as the book is well within public domain and no copyright laws apply. Many other works have been updated and edited to best suit modern children and the publisher asserts this is an edit and parents and educators have long awaited such an edition. The sales have been great and comments on social media and book sites support the publications position. The debate will continue but there can be no mistake that 2012 was the year Santa Claus butted out for good and children worldwide will be well served by this action. Children do not like seeing Santa smoke and worry about his health and wellbeing. For children who have parents that smoke this book is particularly poignant. These kids worry about adults getting sick and leaving them and the last person they want to see smoking is Santa Claus.
In the 1990's research that established that the depiction of cartoon characters smoking played a role in sympathizing young children aged 3-7 towards tobacco products and these results were included in the Master Settlement Agreement. Joe Camel and any other characters were prohibited in tobacco promotions to better protect children. It is important to better protect children from cultural images that depict smoking in a positive or desirous light. Santa has been used by Coke since 1930 due to the fact that he is a universally recognized icon and has the power to evoke enormous positive emotion. Connecting a product to this powerful emotional messaging is the basis of marketing. To underestimate the power of Santa to influence young children is a mistake and to brush off the fact he is puffing all over the living room is misquided. To a young child what Santa does is important and his actions count. He is afterall their hero.
In 2011 the Department of Health in the UK conducted research on 1,000 children who had parents that smoked, 54% of them reported that their number one wish for Christmas was that their parents stop smoking. These children deserve a smoke-free Santa. The best present you can give your child or grandchild is to stop smoking and cold-turkey has new meaning on this Christmas Day.