Corrective Statements for Lack of Health Benefit from "Low Tar," "Light," "Ultra Light," "Mild" and "Natural" CigarettesWe falsely marketed low tar and light cigarettes as less harmful than regular cigarettes to keep people smoking and sustain our profits.
We knew that many smokers switch to low tar and light cigarettes rather than quitting because they believe low tar and lights are less harmful. They are NOT. Here's the truth:
Just because lights and low tar cigarettes feel smoother, that doesn't mean they are any better for you. Light cigarettes can deliver the same amounts of tar and nicotine as regular cigarettes.ALL cigarettes cause cancer, lung disease, heart attacks and premature death--lights, low tar, ultra lights and naturals.Paid for by [Cigarette Manufacturer Name] under order of a Federal District court.Corrective Statements for Cigarette Design ManipulationFor decades, we denied that we controlled the level of nicotine delivered in cigarettes. Here's the truth:Cigarettes are a finely-tuned nicotine delivery device designed to addict people.We control nicotine delivery to create and sustain smokers' addiction, because that's how we keep customers coming back.We also add chemicals, such as ammonia, to enhance the impact of nicotine and make cigarettes taste less harsh.When you smoke, the nicotine actually changes the brain--that's why quitting is so hard.Paid for by [Cigarette Manufacturer Name] under order of a Federal District court.
Corrective Statements for Negative Health Effects of Secondhand SmokeThe Surgeon General has concluded: Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke has been proven to cause premature death and disease in children and in adults who do not smoke. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma. Smoking by parents causes respiratory symptoms and slows lung growth in their children. Exposure of adults to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and causes coronary heart disease and lung cancer. The scientific evidence indicates that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
This message is furnished by [Cigarette Manufacturer Name] pursuant to a Court Order and is taken from the 2006 Surgeon General's Report.
You should rely upon your medical provider and the Surgeon General in making decisions regarding smoking.
Among the penalties, the judge required cigarette makers to issue corrective statements about the dangers of their products, to appear on TV and in newspapers, product packaging and retail displays.
The release of the proposed statements had been delayed because the government and the industry disagreed about when the information should be made public. Kessler ordered the information be released on Wednesday, said the report.
Another issue is the effect of intervening regulations by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). In 2009 Congress gave the FDA wide authority to regulate the tobacco industry (click here for previous CSP Daily News coverage), including a requirement that companies place large, graphic health warnings on cigarette packs.
The FDA last November proposed draft warning labels that could include graphic images depicting dead bodies and diseased lungs. The agency's proposal is not yet final (click here for previous coverage).
Defendants in the case include Altria Group Inc.'s Philip Morris subsidiary, Reynolds American Inc.'s R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.; British American Tobacco (Investments) Ltd., a subsidiary of British American Tobacco PLC; and Lorillard Tobacco Co., a unit of Lorillard Inc.
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