WASHINGTON, DC: Nine partnerships have thrown their hats in the ring with the hope of winning the dollars 300 million per year anti-tobacco account for the American Legacy Foundation.

The foundation, funded by the bounty of the 46-state settlement with the tobacco industry, is looking to hire a marketing partner that has been successful in affecting behavioral change, particularly among youth.

Most of the advertising agencies (called the lead agencies by the foundation) have formed partnerships with PR firms, minority ...