Tobacco Documents Online

-THE TOBACCO INSTITUTE,'INC: 1735 K STREET, NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, D. C. 20006 WILLIAM KLOEPFER,.1R. Nce PacspocNr-Pueuc RcunoNs :9a-8434 November 27, 1968• MEMORANDUM TO: Chief Executives General Counsel In recent days comments made by the.President-Ellct during an interview with a reporter.from television station WBT-TV,. Charlotte, North Carolina, last September-11 have_come to our attention. We have a tape recording of this material. The,Attached represents a verbatim transcript.and I believe you will be quite interested. ~ / .

{ Question: Mr. Nixon, if we may turn a bit-from how you're going to get elected to some of your stands on..:on issues, there are some things that are particularly important in this- part-of the country. And one thing is tobacco. Now in light, of the knowledge between cigarette smoking and cancer, do you feel the Federal Government has gone too far.or far enough in say, the warnings and efforts to uh, convince people to stop smoking cigarettes? Nixonz Well, as a non-smoker and I suppose that isn't going to win me many votes.in this great tobacco country, and of course, I'spent a-lot of time in Durham, and I am well'aware .of how much this indtustry means to uh, North Carolina and the rest of the South...uh, my view on this is purely objective.. Uh...I can say that it seems to me that the Federal Government probably has uh...has uh, placed the warnings before the people in an adequate manner. And it seems*that no matter how many warnings are placed before the people, uh those who are potential smokers uh, that uh; it doesn't seem to have a... a very much effect on what people'do. Now; uh Vve read the studies, some of the studies on the relationship;of the use of tobacco and cancer and I know that it's quite,controversial •uh, but I would say that the job of the Federal Government here is simply to'lay it before the people and then if people

~ -2- determine on their own that'despite those warnings they're going-to continue to smoke, uh I-don't think the-Federal Government could.go further than that in protecting the people against what they think is,. uh a: vice-that they are willing,to pay the price for. . , Question: Well of course, there is'an ef£ort now.to strengthen this warning on the cigarette..uh cigaxette.,packages, , . and I was wondering if your administration would...would- support such an effort to make that warning even more uh, frightening? Nixon: I have no present intention to:do!that. Uh, no one has recommended it from my task forces and uh, un1%es I get some pretty strong evidence that the warning that'is presently used is not adequate,.I would not move iri that direction. Question: Do you consider the general ph~losophy of the type of campaign to sell an idea on the part.o-~ the Federal Government agencies such as the HEW's use of P6st Q£fice trucks and things of this nature to get out the word? Do you consider that uh, good government policy? Is there something that could be dangerous?_ Nixon: It could be dangerous if it,were 3.n the hands of a...a potential dictorial type in the Presidency'of the United States. Uh, I just don't think we are going to elect that kind of a man...in any event. -Uh...I, I must-say that...that

-3- I am going to watch*very carefully in my administration-the use of Voice of America, uh either abroad or in;those areas- where it could be used at home and the use.of atl government agencies with this immense.power that:the Government could.,_ have over the minds of people. Uh, I think it'$ very important :,, .. not to let that power to be used to influence the people in a way that uh, would not be proper and:appropriate to the government function.