The Tobacco Industry s Lies The Human Toll

The Tobacco Industry’s Lies: The Human Toll

A human being dies from tobacco every 6½ seconds

Tobacco kills 1200 Americans every single day

More Americans die every week from tobacco than those that died in the 9/11/01 attacks

the tobacco industry is the vector (cause and source) of disease

In 2006, the US Department of Justice ruled that big tobacco violated fraud and racketeering laws over the course of the last several decades, and that its illegal actions continue today.

This fraud caused millions of deaths. The industry knowingly provided false and confusing information to people. People make the decision to smoke based on this false information.

This presentation is dedicated to the millions of casualties and those now suffering from addictions caused by an industry that lies about its products, adds addictive chemicals, and doesn’t even provide a list of ingredients on its package.

never forget them

The tobacco industry must be stopped.

“In 1997, I had cancer surgery and stopped smoking. I had smoked since I was 8 years old. “Now I have terminal cancer. “I think everyone should stop. ” −C. H. , Sylvan Beach, New York

“ 2/7/1964: The American Medical Association (AMA) accepted a $10 million grant for tobacco research from six cigarette companies. “The AMA immediately shelved its plans to issue a report on tobacco's relationship to cancer. “The official AMA word on smoking and health wasn’t issued for another 10 years. ” −www. Tobacco. org Tobacco killed millions during that time.

“(2/28/1964): A few days after accepting $10 million from six cigarette makers, the American Medical Association (AMA) told the Federal Trade Commission that they objected to labeling cigarettes as a health hazard. ” −www. Tobacco. org Tobacco continued to kill millions.

“If you are really and truly not going to sell to children, you are going to be out of business in 30 years. ” −Bennett Le. Bow, Liggett/Brooke Group, Ltd. “Today’s teenage is tomorrow’s potential regular customer… the smoking patterns of teenagers are particularly important to Philip Morris. ” − 1981 Philip Morris Report

“We are presently, and I believe unfairly, constrained from directly promoting cigarettes to the youth market. ” — 1973 Internal Memo, RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company (makers of Winston)

A September 15, 1989 RJR document. . . reported on Camel marketing at. . . a festival that offered “kiddy rides, vendor booths, and live entertainment on both stages. ” A similar Dallas event included a midway area with carnival rides for the children: “Camel presence, as a major sponsor, was certainly realized by all those at the event. 25 large banners were hung around the perimeter of the park. The Camel 30 -ft. inflatable giant pack was situated next to the main stage. ” A Camel basketball game in a “freestanding booth with banners, flags and giant packs” was located in the midway area with children’s carnival rides which achieved “maximum brand impact. ”

“Most of all losing my daughter’s mother was very rough on my child. She’s 7 years old. “About 1½ months ago my mother passed away from emphysema. For 4 years she was sick, the last 4 months in the hospital. She was a smoker, and it took her life away. “So if you smoke, you should quit because it catches up with you in the long run. ” —P. L. , Oneida, New York

“Sufficient evidence was presented that a tobacco company … had policies of preventing harmful information from becoming available to the public…” −Opinion of the Missouri Court of Appeals, 7/31/07, Smith vs. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp.

“Tobacco … is currently responsible for the death of one in ten adults worldwide (about 5 million deaths each year). ” −World Health Organization

Tobacco kills half its regular users. −World Health Organization

“In 1978, Lorrilard Tobacco companies discussed how to market Newport cigarettes to kids. Discussion subjects included: sponsoring youth sports teams; . . . scholarships for underprivileged youth; . . . and sponsoring Miss Black Teenager contests. “A 1978 Lorillard memo said, ‘The. . . base of our business is the high school student. ’” —US Department of Justice

“…documents show that Philip Morris provided consideration (payment) for movie makers to include smoking in their movies, including features like The Muppet Movie and others intended for young children. ” –Action on Smoking and Health “Corporate got another call from another reporter…on product placement…This reporter did ask about The Muppet Movie… “… we cannot say one way or the other whether the product for this movie came from us or not. I think that's about all we can tell the reporter. ” —Philip Morris Internal Memo

“From Smoking Boom, a Major Killer of Women For Jean Rommes, the crisis came five years ago, on a Monday morning when she had planned to go to work but wound up in the hospital, barely able to breathe. She was 59, the president of a small company in Iowa. Although she had quit smoking a decade earlier, 30 years of cigarettes had taken their toll…. ’Women started smoking in what I call the Virginia Slims era, when they started sponsoring sporting events, ’ said Dr. Barry J. Make, a lung specialist. ” November 29, 2007

“Denise Grady, a science writer for the New York Times (NYT), … has also written for several publications including Scientific American, TIME, Discover and Reader's Digest. … In writing for TIME magazine, Grady was unable to mention in any article the negative impact of smoking tobacco because a large source of advertising revenue TIME magazine received was from tobacco companies…. ” −The Colgate Maroon-News, March 1, 2007

"By the time statistics in the 1980 s showed that women's rate of lung cancer is approaching men's, the necessity of taking cigarette ads has become a kind of prison. ” −Gloria Steinem, regarding income for advertising cigarettes in Ms. Magazine

“ 3 packs per day of Old Gold. I smoked for almost 30 years. I started having stomach problems, went to the doctor and had tests. Found out I had spastic colon and smoking irritated it. Was advised to quit. “I threw away the cigarettes and have not touched one in 20 years!” −J. F. , Oneida, New York

“Philip Morris’s representatives met with Merrell Dow on several occasions and attempted to shut down the marketing and sale of Nicorette (quit smoking gum). ” − Tobacco Control Legal Consortium “To reduce the health effects of smoking, the best thing to do is to quit. ” −Philip Morris web site, 2007 hmmmmmm

“If current smoking patterns continue, tobacco will cause some 10 million deaths each year by 2020. “Half the people that smoke today−that is about 650 million people−will eventually be killed by tobacco. ” −World Health Organization

British American Tobacco Company Internal Memo Philip Morris presented to the UK industry their global strategy on environmental tobacco smoke … they are proposing to set up a team of scientists…to…carry out work on ETS to keep the controversy alive. They are spending vast amounts of money to do so…Because of the heavy financial burden, Philip Morris are inviting other companies to join them in these activities…Philip Morris strategy is perhaps questionable in some respects e. g. involvement of lawyers at such a fundamental scientific levels disadvantages in perception of what will only be perceived as a ‘pro-industry’ group of scientists. “Defendants crafted and implemented a broad strategy to undermine and distort the evidence indicting passive smoke as a health hazard. Defendants’ …attempted to deceive the public, distort the scientific record, avoid adverse findings by government agencies, and forestall indoor air restrictions. Defendants’ conduct with respect to passive smoking continues to this day, when currently no Defendant publicly admits that passive exposure to cigarette smoke causes disease or other adverse health effects. ”—US Department of Justice, 2006

“I smoked for 15 years & have been smoke free for 20 years. It was a tough job quitting, but the best thing I’ve ever done for my health! “We have 4 children and our college student now smokes. The rest of us are devastated & dumbfounded as to why he would smoke after all we taught him. We are confident that he will quit soon & be proud of his decision. ” −P. L. , Oneida, New York

“…students who acted as ‘pushers’ or unofficial advertising men for tobacco companies face loss of their jobs…Traditionally, the so-called ‘rep’ jobs are jealously passed through fraternity brothers and friends. The benefits involve free smokes, a small salary, free sample packs to friends and occasional contest promotions. A favorite promotion is the ‘wrapper contest’ often conducted through SU’s Corner Store. The chapter house collecting the largest number of cigarette package wrappers is given a prize. One recent contest brought in 150, 000 wrappers from one group. ” −Syracuse Herald-Journal

“The World Health Organization (WHO) recently called on governments to raise tobacco taxes, ban advertising, and enforce smoke-free workplace laws and indoor-smoking bans. “ ‘It's a completely preventable epidemic, " Bettcher [of WHO] said. "If we do that, by 2050 we can save 200 million lives. ’”

“Evidence is building up that heavy smoking contributes to lung cancer. ” −Philip Morris Scientist, 1958 Then they forgot: “I am unclear in my own mind whether anyone dies of cigarette smoking–related diseases. ”−Chairman of Philip Morris, 1998

Some people who signed up for Philip Morris’ “quit smoking” program say they mysteriously began receiving free samples of Philip Morris smokeless tobacco products.

“Our Strategy: Converting Adult Smokers” −US Smokeless Tobacco Company Executive

Philip Morris Chairman James C. Bowling denied that cigarette smoking was an addiction in a TV interview. Bowling compared the choice to stop smoking to the choice to eat eggs or not.

“I quit smoking 15 years before I was diagnosed with lung cancer. “Proof that if you smoke for any length of time and then quit, you are not out of the woods as far as cancer is concerned. ” −E. M. , Oneida, New York

“We have a death purging system. We check the obituaries. ” −Philip Morris Official, on how dead smokers are removed from mailing lists to avoid wasting postage, in an ethics speech at Syracuse University, September 2007

“During the 1980 s, BATCo and B&W developed a tobacco that … was genetically engineered to have a nicotine content approximately twice the nicotine content of conventional tobacco. ” −US Department of Justice

“[General counsel for Defendant Philip Morris USA] also admitted that … Philip Morris … removed the pre-existing package labels stating that smoking is addictive. ” —US Department of Justice

“I had smoked for 11 years and decided that I had enough. I quit cold turkey, which is very tough. “I now think every day how much better I feel and how much money I have saved. My suggestion to today’s youth is not to start. ” −J. M. , Oneida, New York

“Data provided by tobacco companies showed that nicotine levels have increased again. ” −Massachusetts Department of Health, 2006 “Tobacco companies ‘manipulated the use of nicotine so as to increase and perpetuate addiction. ’ " −United States Department of Justice, 2006 “…there is no general trend up or down. ” −Spokesperson from Philip Morris, 2006

Would you be willing to tell lies that caused deaths, just to make money? Tobacco executives would. 7 In 1994, executives from different tobacco companies testified before the United States House of Representatives that nicotine is not addictive.

Rep. Ron Wyden (D-OR): Just yes or no. Do you believe nicotine is not addictive? Mr. Campbell: I believe nicotine is not addictive, yes. (William Campbell, President of Philip Morris) 1

2 “Congressman, cigarettes and nicotine clearly do not meet the classic definitions of addiction. ” (James W. Johnston, Chairman and CEO, RJR Tobacco Company) −Testimony before the US House of Representatives, 4/14/1994

“I don't believe that nicotine or our products are 3 addictive. ” (Joseph Taddeo, President, U. S. Tobacco Company) −Testimony before the US House of Representatives, 4/14/1994

4 “I believe nicotine is not addictive. ” (Edward A. Horrigan, CEO, Liggett Group Inc. ) −Testimony before the US House of Representatives, 4/14/1994

“I believe that nicotine is not addictive. ” (Andrew H. Tisch, CEO, Lorillard Tobacco Company) −Testimony before the US House of Representatives, 4/14/1994 5

6 “I believe that nicotine is not addictive. ” (Thomas E. Sandefur, CEO, Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. ) −Testimony before the US House of Representatives, 4/14/1994

7 “And I, too, believe that nicotine is not addictive. ” (Donald S. Johnston, President, American Tobacco Company) −Testimony before the US House of Representatives, 4/14/1994

“At 17, I started smoking with the thought in my head that it would only be for a short while. I believed that I could quit any time. “One day, at the age of 37, I woke up and realized I had been smoking for 20 years! I was disgusted with myself for I remembered the vow I had made when I started, that I would just smoke for a little while. I quit and never went back. ” −S. J. , Canastota, New York

“Marlboro Lights cigarettes are, as designed, more mutagenic (likely to cause the cellular changes that can lead to cancer) than Marlboro full-flavor cigarettes. . . “Philip Morris has not ‘changed the design of ‘Light’ cigarettes in response to its studies and knowledge concerning mutagenicity. ’ ” −US Department of Justice

“You know, the weird thing is that we hardly ever acknowledge that tobacco causes so many sicknesses and deaths. I think tobacco has killed someone close to all of us, but we don’t even think of it that way. “My grandfather continued to have cardiovascular disease for a decade after he quit smoking, ultimately causing a massive stroke and early death at age 64. ” −A. B. , Manlius, New York

In the May 12, 1997 issue of Time magazine, then President and CEO of Philip Morris, James Morgan, was quoted from his deposition testimony as stating, “If [cigarettes] are behaviorally addictive or habit forming, they are much more like. . . Gummi Bears, and I eat Gummi Bears, and I don’t like it when I don’t eat my Gummi Bears, but I’m certainly not addicted to them. ”

“You should quit. I quit. “My mom has emphysema from smoking. She can hardly walk. “It’s sad to see. She smoked all her life. “She can’t even participate in family functions now. It’s a sad, slow death. “Get help and support, and pray. ” −L. L. , Chittenango, New York

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“I started smoking when I was 16. “I am now 37. I quit 2 years ago. “I look at me right now, and I am free. ” −I. V. , Oneida, New York