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Copyright 1997 National Broadcasting Co. Inc. NBC News Transcripts SHOW: TODAY (7:00 AM ET) October 23,1997, Thursday 10:40 AM LENGTH: 561 words HEADLINE: PHILIP MORRIS TO BEGIN TESTING NEW CIGARETTE ON CONSUMERS ANCHORS: MATT LAUER; KATIE COURIC REPORTERS: BOB KUR BODY: MATT LAUER, co-host: On CLOSE UP this morning, a new cigarette. With the tobacco industry under increasing pressure from the government, today comes new word of a new product. ~ NBC's Bob Kur is here with the details. Bob, good morning. BOB KUR reporting: Is Matt, good morning to you. It's nice to be here. Well, when we talk about the tobacco wars, it's usually activists lined up against the industry. But these days it's the cigarette- makers themselves who are in a war to see who can become successful with the first brand that might be cleaner and might actually be less hazardous. It's a familiar ritual that's under unprecedented attack. Now tobacco giant Philip Morris is betting $200 million, hoping smokers are ready for a change. This video supplied by Philip Morris is America's first look at the contraption the company is going to begin testing on consumers. Offscreen Voice #1: (From Philip Morris video) The puff-activated lighter contains a sophisticated heating system governed by an electronic microprocessor. KUR: High-tech smoking for sure, a lighter and cigarette holder all in one, and it only burns when you puff it. You can put it down when the food arrives, and pick up right N 0 00 where you left off after dessert. ~ w

« LAUER: I had a feeling. Bob, thanks very much. KUR: Sure. LAUER: Appreciate it. Seven ten. Here's Katie. KATIE COURIC, co-host: Thanks, Matt. LANGUAGE: English LOAD-DATE: October 24,1997 0

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. Offscreen Voice #2: (From Philip Morris past commercial) And your food tastes better too. i Unidentified Woman: (From Philip Morris past commercial) But why do these wonderful things happen when I change to Philip Morris? Mr. JOHN NELSON (Senior Vice President, Philip Morris): Over the years, smokers have told us that they would prefer a cigarette that had less lingering odor, less smoke around them, and less ashtray mess. KUR: Philip Morris claims it significantly reduces extraneous smoke and eliminates the danger of a cigarette-caused fire. More important, the company hopes to show that toasting tobacco at lower temperatures lowers the amount of dangerous byproducts. We showed the Philip Morris tape to John Slade, a specialist in addiction medicine and tobacco issues. Kids don't usually go for ultralight cigarettes like these, and the cost of the new system could be $40-$50, but Slade says other features could be a draw. Mr. JOHN SLADE (Robert Wood Johnson Medical School): This is a high-tech gizmo that looks a little like a toy. It may cost a few dollars to get involved, but kids buy higher- priced sneakers. And it has some advantages that regular cigarettes don't. It might well be easier to smoke this in the bathroom and not get found out. KUR: Still, Slade and other skeptics believe Philip Morris deserves credit for developing a novel device that may reduce some risks associated with smoking. And that if it starts a new race to produce lower-risk products, it could be the start of a fundamental change in the cigarette market. Mr. MAT MYERS (Center for Tobacco Free Kids): We have to be cautious. We don't know whether the reductions in the components of tobacco products that they claim they've achieved through this product have any health benefit whatsoever. It's for that reason that it's absolutely vital that an agency like the US Food and Drug Administration carefully examine the health impact of this new product, and that we not take the tobacco company's word for it. KUR: Now as we speak, the degree of jurisdiction the Food and Drug Administration will have over cigarettes is being fought over in the courts and in Congress. Matt: LAUER: Let me ask you a question I may already know the answer#o. Can any cigarette work in that device? KUR: The short answer is no. They are a special size, made to be compatible with this new system. And, hey, this is business. So there's no way Philip Morris wants other ~ cigarette brands being stuck into its new invention, Matt.