Cigarette Makers Lied for 50 Years

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SSRI-Research@

Sat, 25 Sep 2004 21:43:48 -0400

Feds: Cigarette Makers Lied for 50 Years

[-- and what about the Pharma Nazis????]

 

( Moderator's Note: The way that the public was misinformed isn't so

very different than the way that Big Pharma has operated and

misinformed (it is really called lying) for the past 100 years and the

same could be said about misinformation on many issues affecting the

general population. Misinformation on our water, foods, vaccines,

options on health care, nutritional supplements, social security,

politics in general, etc., etc. and so on in most areas of our lives.

 

In fact cigerettes were foisted off on the public with the help of The

AMA, Big Pharma, and the government. The Medical journals used to be

loaded with cigarette ads and a lot of the ads in major media featured

doctors telling you that they were good for you. Many doctors

recommended smoking to their patients for ridiculous reasons, etc. The

FDA was involved in the misinformation and game playing up to their

noses. F.)

 

 

Feds: Cigarette Makers Lied for 50 Years

 

Sep 21, 11:06 PM (ET)

 

By Peter Kaplan

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cigarette makers lied and tried to confuse the

public about the dangers of smoking for 50 years, the U.S. government

said on Tuesday as its $280 billion case against the industry went to

trial.

 

In opening arguments in the biggest and most ambitious racketeering

case in history, the government said a 1953 meeting of tobacco

industry executives at New York's Plaza Hotel was the starting point

for a conspiracy designed to cast doubt on links between cancer and

cigarettes.

 

" This case is about a 50-year pattern of misrepresentation,

half-truths and lies by the defendants that continues to this day, "

U.S. Justice Department attorney Frank Marine told a federal court.

 

The 1999 lawsuit launched under President Bill Clinton targets Altria

Group Inc. (MO.N) and its Philip Morris USA unit; Loews Corp.'s

(LTR.N) Lorillard Tobacco unit, which has a tracking stock, Carolina

Group (CG.N); Vector Group Ltd.'s (VGR.N) Liggett Group; Reynolds

American Inc.'s (RAI.N) R.J. Reynolds Tobacco unit and British

American Tobacco Plc (BATS.L) unit British American Tobacco

Investments Ltd.

 

The companies have denied the government's allegations and say they

have drastically changed their marketing practices since 1998, when

they signed a landmark settlement with state attorneys general that

severely restricts marketing and subjects cigarette makers to oversight.

 

Tobacco companies say the past misconduct alleged by the government

does not mean that they are likely to commit fraud in the future, a

showing they say is necessary to justify the $280 billion financial

penalty sought by the government.

 

" Cigarettes are not sold the way they were sold in the past, " Philip

Morris attorney William Ohlemeyer said outside the courthouse after

the government made its presentation. " The best way to predict the

future is to look at how cigarettes are sold today. "

 

As the trial's first day continued, stocks of tobacco companies were

mostly lower, including Altria, down 1.9 percent to $46.19 a share on

the New York Stock Exchange and Reynolds American Inc., down 2.4

percent at $68.24 a share.

 

The trial is expected to last about six months and feature more than

100 witnesses.

 

MEMO CITED

 

In its opening arguments, the government said it would prove that the

industry constructed a huge public relations operation designed to sow

confusion about the health affects of smoking.

 

Justice Department attorney Sharon Eubanks cited a 1964 memo from a

Philip Morris executive that said the industry had to provide " a

psychological crutch and a self rationale to continue smoking. "

 

In January, 1964 the U.S. Surgeon General issued a landmark report

outlining the risks of smoking that briefly cut into tobacco sales.

 

Citing dozens of similar internal industry documents, government

attorneys charged that the cigarette makers misled the American public

about whether tobacco was addictive, and whether it caused cancer and

other diseases.

 

They also said they would show that the industry manipulated nicotine

levels and marketed cigarettes to teenagers, even as they publicly

denied both practices, and that the companies suppressed and destroyed

potentially incriminating documents and research.

 

Justice Department officials want the industry to give up $280 billion

worth of past profits and seek tougher rules on marketing, advertising

and warnings on tobacco products.

 

Cigarette makers say a $280 billion penalty would put them out of

business and have challenged the government's demand.

 

An appeals court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in November on

the penalty issue and some industry analysts think settlement talks

could follow

if the government loses.

 

Marine, of the Justice Department, told Kessler that the figure

represents only a third of what the government could have sought.

 

" If it's money obtained by fraud, it's not their money, " Marine said.

 

Lawyers for the cigarette makers are scheduled to respond with their

opening statement after the government's presentation.

 

" We're prepared to offer a very detailed response to what you saw

today, " Ohlemeyer said outside the courthouse.

 

Later in the week, the government is scheduled to call former Food and

Drug

Administration Commissioner David Kessler as its first witness.

 

In testimony already filed with the court, Kessler has described how

the FDA found that tobacco companies were manipulating levels of

nicotine in cigarettes.

 

The former FDA commissioner is not related to the judge.

 

Some anti-smoking groups fear the administration of President Bush may

want to settle the case, but Attorney General John Ashcroft said in a

statement that the Justice Department looked forward to recapturing

industry profits and preventing the marketing of cigarettes to young

people.

 

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