Tobacco Documents Online

i. ~ IiEIO1MCfi E. 1SQ)IIi1N 17, llF:SII{'E1•: llKIh'E. GREFIN11'I(':II„C:(3I'UN ECTICC?T 6]0Fi30 February 2'6, 19'82 Senator Lowell Weicker Committee on Cbmmerce, Science & Transportation 5202' Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D. C. 20510 Dear Lowell: This is to request your support in defeating S. 192'9. This Bill represents bad legislation and will succeed' only in generating another costly government bureaucracy. To the best of my knowledge, there is no.evidence--o'r even the basis for aiplausible assumption--that the public is unaware of the alleged connection between cigarette smoking and potential health problems. Smokers smoke because they choose to inispite of consiiderable social pressure. Therefore., it makes absolutely no sense for new government programs to further expand upon what the Department of Health and Human Services is now doing, to educate the public. Publishing a rotating schedlule of health warnings on all cigarette packages and advertising wo ld not only be ineffective but would'also be extremely costly and aniadministrative nightmare for the tobacco manufacturers and their suppliers. Importantly, S~. 1929' also represents another attempt to.push adwertising regulation beyond any previously accepted bounds by those who would have the government totally control our lives. There are serious restrictive implications in this Bill that could set unfortunate precedence in many areas beyondi the tobacco industry and,, therefore, it is extremely important that this.Bill be ki l le~~d.,