Tobacco Documents Online

3/7/94 - DAY ONE - 8-9PM - Contents of Cigarettes An earlier ABC report on the manipulation of nicotine by the tobacco industry has prompted calls for hearings, e.g., a House Sub-committee will examine the industry's use of nicotine, and Sen. Ted Kennedy has called on the GAO to investigate the manipulation of nicotine in cigarettes. The tobacco industry is very powerful, so powerful that it has managed to keep the contents of its products a secret ("under lock and key") to all but a few government officials. Rep. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.): "We now know that there are chemicals in tobacco products that are so toxic they wouldn't be allowed in a landfill under the federal environmental rules." Brennan Dawson of the TI says the contents are a"trade secret" that the industry has a stake in keeping secret. Apparently, there are 700 additives to cigarettes; 13 ingredients cannot be added to food. Two of these ingredients have tipped off the government to the manipulation of nicotine levels in cigarettes by tobacco companies. Reporter John Martin, "The government just didn't do its job." Sen. Kennedy likens the tobacco industry's power and influence to that of the NRA. This powerful lobby has cut off all attempts to regulate it and investigate it. 3/9/94 - NIGHTL.INE - 11:30-12 PM - March on Washington The tobacco companies, according to Ted Koppel, are beginning to resemble Japanese soldiers who kept emerging on lone Pacific Islands, long after V J Day, not realizing that the war was really over. Of course, that war is far from over, but a significant corner has been turned. Since 1964 the tobacco industry has lost lots of ground, e.g., higher FETs, more people quitting, decades of lawsuits, etc. Bill Campbell of PM is interviewed. He says today's fight is not about tobacco companies. "It's about workers and their families and how they have to raise and support those families," he said. Protesters in the recent march on Washington are shown. They say it is unfair to single out a single industry to pay for national health care reform. Steve Parrish of PM is quoted. He says that 2.3 million jobs are generated by the tobacco industry in the U.S. Increasing the FET would have far-reaching effects. With the economy in the state it's in now, he wonders if the nation can afford to throw 275,000 people out of work. "Our economy is based on choice and the free market system ought to be allowed to work," he said. The Journal of the AMA reports that a decline in smoking would not cost jobs, but would move them around. Reporter Chris Bury: "The tobacco workers who came to convince the Capital today know they are in a last gasp fight." Report then switches to the fight to eliminate public smoking. A brief history of an embattled tobacco industry is recounted since 1960s, including the fact that in 1972, the MARLBORO MAN was "booted off" TV and radio. Now, many businesses and restaurants are restricting when and where people can smoke. PM's Parrish: "... I don't think the federal government ought to be in the business of social engineering N and telling ... 50 million people what they can do in terms of making their choices." He ~ adds that the FET is a regressive and unfair tax. Cong. Henry Waxman says he hopes W "the American people move to a smoke-free society." Parrish says that in the past few ~ weeks the tobacco industry has been the victim of "unfounded" attacks. r W ~ O N

Next, the program shifts to the addiction of tobacco. Nicotine is the reason people smoke. The FDA regulates nicotine patches and gum; why doesn't it regulate cigarettes? Even the industry acknowledges that cigarettes are nicotine delivery systems (e.g., cites PM internal memo on the subject). A former RJR manager is cited saying that tobacco companies knowingly put nicotine in cigarettes in the form of extract to keep consumers happy. Parrish of PM responds that ABC's contention regarding nicotine manipulation is not true. Nicotine is a naturally occurring substance in tobacco. Nothing is done in the manufacture of cigarettes to increase the level of nicotine beyond what is naturally in tobacco. In fact, the nicotine level in PM's cigarettes is lower than that which is in unprocessed tobacco leaf. ABC's claims are "ludicrous, outrageous." Report closes with Chris Bury saying that no one expects a ban on tobacco sales to be politically possible. However, the FDA's action shows just how far the tables have turned against "the nation's deadliest habit." 3/9/94 - WORLD NEWS TONIGHT - 6:30-7PM - March on Washington The march on Washington ("fairly large") was staged by an industry "fighting a very difficult uphill battle," said anchor Peter Jennings. The rich tobacco industry is reeling from a series of recent shocks, e.g., more bans on public smoking, FDA warning, charges of nicotine manipulation, etc. Matthew Myers (Smoking and Coalition on Health): "rhey've transformed what was basically an agricultural crop into one of the effective [sic] addiction devices ever created in mankind." Protesters at the rally said it was unfair to target them to pay for health care reform and that increasing the FET would endanger 275,000 jobs. An AMA study says a reduction in smoking won't cost jobs, but would shift them around and increase other agricultural pursuits.