Anne Landman's Collection
Your Letter to My Deceased Husband Is Headed "What Good Is the Right to Smoke If You Can't Afford It".
Abstract
Tobacco companies keep huge databases of the names and addresses of smokers in order to send out discount offers, coupons, etc. They also use these databases to bring smokers' attention to proposals to raise cigarette taxes and mobilize them to oppose the taxes. The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company used its database to do exactly that in April of 1986 when it mass-mailed a discounted carton offer along with a letter asking a Mr. Maker of North Branch, Minnesota to write his state senator and oppose a cigarette tax.
The problem was Mr. Baker was dead, having died as a result of his cigarette use. Upon receiving RJR's "carton offer," grieving widow Betty M. Maker, wrote this powerful letter to Mr. Gerald H. Long, then President and CEO of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
Fields
- Notes
Man hundreds of sad, poignant and fascinating correspondence to tobacco companies can be found by entering as search criteria the word "deceased" on the document sites. In the RJR collection, many letters containing the word "deceased" in the title have been found in a file marked "potential litigation."
- Quotes
Mr. Gerald H. Long President Chief Executive Officer R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Your letter to my deceased husband is headed, "What Good Is the Right To Smoke If You Can't Afford It."
My late husband's "Certificate of Death" reads "due to, or as a consequence of Tobacco Use."
No one made my Late Husband smoke, it was his choice. but once he started in the use of the drug tobacco he was trapped. I thank God my children nor I ever became a slave to tobacco.
Now, for your letter, $100.00 a carton would not be enough for the loss of life your product causes. My wallet will never purchase another cigaret but my life will be empty of love, companionship and my best friend, my late husband. So Mr. Long if you can sell death and live with yourself you have the Lord to answer to.
Yes, I will write State Senator R.W. Peterson and say it isn't enough just to raise the tax in fact stop the sale of those monster cigarets and for God's sake stop subsidizing tobacco growers with my tax money.
No smokers Minnesotan or any other have the right to pollute my breathing air.
Thank you for writing my late husband and making me realize my voice can be heard.
May God be with you,
Betty M. Maker 621 Forest Ave. Box 461 N. Branch, MN 55056
- Company
- R.J. Reynolds
- Author
- Maker, Betty M.
- Recipient
- Long, Gerald H. (RJR Director, 1979-88; President '82-86)Chief Operating Officer of RJ Reynolds, 1982-83, CEO of RJR 1984-86, served on Tobacco Institute Executive Committee, 1984-87. Replaced Ed Horrigan as president of RJR's domestic tobacco business.
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