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 LeBow, 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 1980s 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 1980s, 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 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 (DOR): 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
3
“I don't believe that
nicotine or our products
are 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