Tobacco Documents Online

--, Pstoosww RgC WO~LD NEWS TOhIIG3?T STATIW+': ~ WAaie-Tw ~~. DAh 03/15/93 06': S6PM AUpMWCA SM"7 TOBACCO I NDIISTRY BROADCAST EXQ?RPTS' PETER JEN1INGS (Host): Tonight, an apparent contradiction. Given that the gowernment goes out of' its way to publicize the dangers of smoking, why are millions of tax dollars being spent every year to help farmers grow and' sell tobacco? Here"e ABC''s Johm Martin. _. JOHN MARTIN (Reporter)~r For more than 50 yeara, tobacco faszners have had an extra fieldl hand at their side, Uncle Sam. Until 198'2, he paid them a subsi;dy-to help: them grow tobacco. Then, witb thegov+ernment warningofdiangersto healthfrow smoking, somn in Congress wanted to end all assistanee. So, there was a compromise. Henceforth, the government would only lend money to tobacco farmers to produce their crops. So, today, the Agriculture Department likes to point' ou'tt tobacco fsrmers get no subsidy'. But, under ord~ers from Congaress, the Agriculture Department does provide a series of services. The Agriculture Department adrnini9tersi those loans to growers. Cost in a recent year, 14.8 million dollars, lcoriC..1. 4ow. amar.

-16- MAR 16 1993' foaxa:, Gciwerrment crop experts advise growers how to avoid or eliminate pests and weeds, coat 8100 thousand dbllars,. Government economistsandstatistician9-analyze: and report production, price levels, market news, and trends for tobacco growers and traders, cost $1,80o,00b1. The government offers two services adtninia'trators don't want you to see. Government sc.ientists refused to let' us, photograph i.~sidle their laboratories to show tobacco research they carry out for growers,, cost 7,0100,,0010 tax dollars. - Government managers refused to l et us photograph inside these of f ices where they administer the tobacco crop insurance program,, cost 12.9 million dollars. The cigarette companies and their parent corporations sell vast amounts of tobacco. - Zn a, receint year, RJR Nabisco had 13'.8 billion dollars in sales, American Brands 8.2 billion,. Lorillard 1.2 billion dollars. If Uncle Sam decided the cigarette companies could afford to pay for these services, eliminating all government assistance for the growing, and' marketing of tobacco would save the taxpayers about 40 milli= dolSars'a year. John Martin, ABC r7ews, Lexington, Kentucky. . f * JBNNZNG'S : So, here's some other choices for that caoney,. a0 million dollass would represent a nearly, 50 percent increase in the National Cancer Institute's budget for lung,cancer research, or it would pay to vaccinate 3110,000 children against eommon cl'aildhood d.iseases. That' s our report on World News Tonight. ' I' mi- Peter Jennings, Nightline later. Have a good evening, good night.