MARKY RAMONE LAUNCHES NEW LINE OF SAFER SEX TINS

By Katherine Hoffert; photo by Ryan Murphy

Marky Ramone, former drummer of the legendary punk rock group The Ramones, has partnered with the Minneapolis, Minn. based sex education organization Ready Two Go, debuting his own signature line of safer sex kits. Using the power of music and pop culture to help get the word out about safe sex, the trendy line of metal tins displays The Ramones insignia and the slogan "Too Tuff to Break" - a spin on The Ramones' Too Tough to Die album title - on the front, and comes with two LifeStyles condoms, lubricant and an STD resource card inside.

"I've lost three friends from The Ramones in the last seven years, so I thought if I can help save some lives and educate anybody about this, I'll do it," Ramone told Performer at Rainbow Bar & Grill in Hollywood. "Unfortunately, the schools and churches don't teach sex education that much. They're a little squeamish about it. But it's important because if you're aware of things, you'll think twice about not protecting yourself. This isn't the 1950s - we can confront each other and talk rationally about these things."

Priced at $4.95 each, 10 percent of the tins' net sales goes to the charitable New York City based HIV/AIDS advocacy organization CitiWide Harm Reduction, and as an added incentive, every thousandth tin comes with a free pair of Marky Ramone signature Vic Firth drumsticks. In addition to educating people about safer sex, Ramone also has a new show on SIRIUS Satellite Radio called Punk Rock Blitzkrieg, which airs at 8 p.m. EST on Channel 29. He is currently on tour overseas playing the European summer festival circuit.

www.myspace.com/markyramone

www.madbj.com

www.citiwidehr.org