Tobacco Documents Online

477 Den Road Stamford, CT 069D3 March 5, 19'.8 2' Senator Bob Packwood Chairman Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation 5202'D2rksen~Senate Office Building Washington, U. C . 201510 , a r Dear Senator Packwood: This is to request your support in defeating S. 19.29. This Bill represents bad legislation and will succeed on~ly in gienerating- another costly government bureaucracy., . To the.best of my knowledge, there is no evidence -- or even the basis.for a plausible.assumption -- that the public is,unaware: of the.alleged connection between cigarette smoking and potential health prroblems. Smokers smoke because they choose to in spite of considerable social pressure. Therefore, it makes absolutely no sense for new!government programs to further expandlupon what the Department of Health and'.Human Services,is'.now~doing to edu- cate the public. Publishing~a rotatingischedule of health warnings on all cigarette packages and advertising1would riot only be ineffective but would also~be extremel:y costly andlan administrative nigntmare.for the tobacco manufacturers'and their supFliers. Importantly, S. 1929 also represents another attempt to push ad- vertising regulation Yieyond any previously accepted bounds~ by those who would have the'govern¢nent totally control our lives. There are serious restrictive implications in this Bill that could set un- fortunate precedence in many areas beyond the tobacco iindustry and, therefore, it is extremely important that this Bill be killed. Sincerely, G'L.._ Donald R. Bigda