Anne Landman's Collection
Dear Ms. Merlo
Abstract
In this 1994 letter, the medical director of a major cancer treatment center in Florida writes to Ellen Merlo (Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Philip Morris) to say that smoking saves the government money by causing early deaths. Dr. Carlos Dominguez, Medical Director of the Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami Beach, Florida says that people who don't die of lung cancer will instead live longer and die of other illnesses and that "...obviously the state of Florida and the Federal Government will also have to spend the money to take care of the patient and in the meantime the patient lives an extra ten to twenty years as a retired person, collecting retirement benefits and not paying taxes. So, therefore in the long run, smoking is cheaper for the government."
Fields
- Quotes
Dear Ms. Merlo,
In the summer of 1994 I wrote a letter to you explaining my total oppositio to the unfair "Hate the Smoker" campaign being conducted by many politicians in North America, presumably because they feel that they can gain some votes with this position.
In that letter I specifically explained the argument that Governor Lawton Chiles of Florida had to pursue the approval of a state law that would allowing [sic] suits against the tobacco companies for expenses the State of Florida has taken care of for smokers is totally invalid and ridiculous.
As I explained, it assumes that the person who does not smoke will be healthy and live happily forever without suffering any other diseases.
To the contrary, what will happen is that that person instead of dying of lung cancer or coronary heart disease in his 60's or 50's, will live to be 75 or 85 only to die o some other illnesses (other kinds of cancers not related to smoking such as colon, breast, pancreas or prostate cancer, etc.) At that time obviously the State of Florida and the Federal Government will also have to spend the money to take care of the patient and in the meantime the patient lives an extra ten to twenty years as a retired person, collecting retirement benefits and not paying taxes.
So, therefore in the long run, smoking is cheaper for the Government.
To my delight in a recent issue of the weekly magazine, Newsweek, (December, 1994), there is a report that the Professor of Economy, Kip Viscusi, or the most prestigious Duke University, came out with the same conclusion.
With best regards, I remain,
Sincerely,
Carlos J. Dominguez, M.D., F.A.C.P.
- Company
- Philip Morris
- Author
- Dominguez, Carlos J. M.D. (Medical Director, Mt. Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center)Miami Beach, Florida
- Recipient
- Merlo, Ellen (PM Corp. Affairs VP)Marketing Services prior to 1986. Understood use of nicotine addiction in selling PM products.
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