Tobacco Documents Online

~ RaDio tiPREPORTS N ATI®NAl'~IAA~RICEf `• TRANSCRIPT N.w Yorki 212-30V 1400 Chicapos 312 541-2020 Detroiy' 313 -344-1177 Los Anp.l.ss 213-466-612/ Washinpton, D.Cs 301-656J068 eosroes 617•536-2232 Philad.Iphias 215 567 7600 San Francisco: 213.466a124 Mlands3053583358 FOR PHILI ,P MORR-I-S STATION WABC-TV & THE ABC TV NETWORK PROGRAM THIS WEEK WITH DAVID BRTNKL I~ NEW YORK DATE 01/YO/93 12:15 P.M. AUDIENCE SUBJECT EpA SFrn nuAND SMOKE REPORT ~_- BROADCAST EXCERPT DAVID BRINKLEY: In the meantime, George, you were exercised, I believe, about a discovery by the U.S. government. An announcement this week or last that secondhand smoke, smoke as other people smoke and blow it out and you breathe it in, it causes cancer and it's dangerous and it kills you. GEORGE WILL: What they did is they upgraded it. You say I'm exercised. I'm exercised with enthusiasm for the findings. What it means is by upgrading the status of this to what I think the term is a Class A carcinogen, secondhand smoke, they really put an enormous l'i F"i-"gation danger before, say, employers who allow smoking in the workplace because then someone who comes up with lung cancer can claim that adequate precautions were not taken. David, I can't think of any -- maybe you all can -- change in common everyday etiquette in American life comparable to the change in the last 25 years in the status of smoking. This week, the Baltimore Orioles became the fifth major league baseball team to say in an open air stadium you cannot smoke in your seat. SAM DONALDSON: But George, there's'more work to be done in this church. Smokers must be driven to a cave someplace 6000 -- Carlsbad Caverns. That's the only place we should allow them to smoke. COKIE ROBERTS: Then the bats will become endangered. Are you kidding? DONALDSON: The old line was if smokers wanted to kill N themselves, let them kill themselves, but they're killing everyone p around them. They're killing their children. If you're smoking, N folks out there, and you've got young children, why.are you doing cj this to them? Why don't you like them? Smokers must be driven o.ut=Cb because they simply are killing themselves and everybody else and W ~ ~ While Rodw TV'Repons eadeavas b assure die occurocy al moterrol suppliid'by it, is conral be responsobis ior misbiies or amissioni M/ Masmioi suppiYed by Rodio TV Requrts may be used Ior file ond reie.enca purposes only. Y may eot be repoduced, sold or publicly der.onsMabd at e.hibised

- 2 - they're adding to the costs of this government. Talk about the deficit. The single thing that would reduce health care costs the most would be to ban people who smoke. WILL: Do you know what would happen if everybody quit smoking today, by the way? DONALDSON: They'd start drinking? Is that your view? WILL: The Social Security system would be in dire shape suddenly because the actuarial tables of the Social Security system count on a certain large number of Americans dying prematurely from lung cancer and not collecting their benefits. DONALDSON: Well, we'll figure out some other way to save the Social Security system. ROBERTS: And a lot of tobacco farmers and cigarette companies would go out of business. DONALDSON: They,_should go out of business, Cokie. BRINKLEY: Well, they're making a ton of money selling tobacco -abroad. - WILL: Exactly. BRINKLEY: Do you know what the world's largest selling consumer product of any description is? DONALDSON: I think you've telegraphed it. What is it? BRINKLEY: Marlboro cigarettes. WILL: Is that right? BRINKLEY: Marlboro is the largest selling consumer product the world. in ROBERTS: I'm curious about this litigation because what happens now? Now we know secondhand smoke causes cancer. At what point are you then able to sue? Can your employer say, "Well, I didn't know it at the time. The government only came out with this report in 1993?" DONALDSON: The tobacco companies have engaged for about 45 years to try to obstruct the truth -health. in a conspiracy on smoking and ROBERTS: But everybody knew smoking was bad. You'd have be living in a cave not to know that smoking was bad for you.

- 3 - DONALDSON: The companies, in response to this report, David, held a press conference saying, "Well, there hasn't been any final conclusive proof. This just comes from people who don't like cigarettes." ROBERTS: But look, that's just an excuse to not take responsibility for your own actions. DONALDSON: How do they live with themselves? How do these tobacco executives go home and live with themselves? BRINKLEY: You'll have to ask them. .,~~~