Tobacco Documents Online

UST Inc. Investor i,I_~lauons zo~,6~. ~,. ~ Executive Calls for Debate on Smokeless Tobacco's Role In Tobacco Harm Reduction at Congressional Hearings GREENWICH, Conn., June 3/PRNewswire-FirstCall/-- U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Executive Vice President for External Affairs Richard H. Verheij today told two committees of the U.S. House of Representatives in written testimony, "The issue of tobacco harm reduction and the potential role of smokeless tobacco products is at a crossroads." "We are here today because of the millions of adult smokers who do not quit and do not use medicinal nicotine products," Verheij told the committees. "Many in the public health community believe that a harm reduction strategy based on communicating to adult smokers truthful information about other options can have significant impact on both those individual adult smokers and public health generally." U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, the principal subsidiary of UST (NYSE: UST), manufactures and markets the country's best-selling brands of moist smokeless tobacco. The remarks came during separate hearings of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection and the Committee on Government Reform. Verheij told the committees that adult cigarette smokers have a serious misperception about the comparative health risks of cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use. "Clearly there is a need to provide adult cigarette smokers with truthful information about the comparative health risks of tobacco products," Verheij said. "A workshop or other public forum sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission might help form a consensus as to how we move forward on this important public health issue, and could provide guidelines to ensure that any comparative risk communication is directed at adult smokers to avoid any unintended consequences." The company submissions are available at ussmokelesstobacco.com. U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, through its subsidiaries, is a leading producer and marketer of moist smokeless tobacco products. The Company's primary brands are Copenhagen, Skoal, Rooster and Red Seal. The Company is the only smokeless tobacco manufacturer to sign the Smokeless Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (STMSA). Under the STMSA, the Company voluntarily adopted an array of advertising and promotional restrictions and agreed to pay $100 million towards programs to reduce youth access to tobacco products and combat youth substance abuse. CONTACT: htt~://www.cotpotate-ir~net/ireye/ir_site~html?ticker=UST&script--411 &layout=9&item_id... 6/6/2003

Michael G. Bazinet Media Relations 203-622-3549 U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Mark A. Rozelle Investor Relations 203-622-3520 U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company http:"~'w'w.corporate-ir.net/irey~'ir_site~latmI?ticker=UST&script---411 &layout=9&item._id... 6/6/2003

Michael G. Bazinet Media Relations 203-622-3549 U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Mark A. Rozelle Investor Relations 203-622-3520 U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company http:"~'w'w.corporate-ir.net/irey~'ir_site~latmI?ticker=UST&script---411 &layout=9&item._id... 6/6/2003