By Timothy Martinelli, On-line Forty-Niner
April 23, 1997
History loves irony. Before there was a United States, tobacco was one of the driving economic forces in the colonies that would become America.
Tobacco was one of the financial foundation blocks upon which the new republic was constructed.
Fast forward to the 20th century. In the new age of cinema, the noxious weed became a glamorized accessory of sophisticated society.
After World War II the oleaginous talents of Madison Avenue were marshaled to work for, what was by then, the tobacco industry.
The results were amazing: movie stars, athletes, guys in doctors' costumes, cowboys and anyone else with influence was recruited to sell the carcinogenic drug.
And sell they did. A large part of an entire generation became addicted to tobacco. Meanwhile, in government, the seniority system brought to power many who represented tobacco growers.
Not only was the industry allowed to flourish, it received tax subsidies as well.
Look how the mighty have fallen, or more accurately, how they may fall in the future. The industry is now under attack by the same Congress that stood with them all those years.
Much worse, a coalition of state attorneys general and trial lawyers is out to change the rules of the game by which the tobacco kings have prospered and punish them in the bargain.
The turning point came when the Liggett Group broke ranks and caved in to the junta of state AGs.
The wall was then breached, the documents, the studies, the in house memos, all that was sacred to tobacco inc. would now be in the hands of its enemies.
Many are now asking, "what is in those documents that were kept from the public, and what about the studies that the tobacco companies themselves did?" It all may add up to tobacco's worst nightmare. It has been reported that tobacco company studies showed nicotine to be highly addictive and carcinogenic as long ago as the late 50s or early 60s.
The documents may show that the companies marketed directly to kids, they may show that nicotine levels were "adjusted" to hook smokers or keep them puffing.
Another worst case scenario for the Industry: What will be the future regulation of the industry? Weighing in with his opinion on television recently was former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everret Koop.
Dr. Koop believes the tobacco companies owe a commitment to the therapeutic treatment of the 50 million people he claimed are now addicted to tobacco.
Attorney General Michael Moore of Mississippi, has acted as spokesman for the group of AGs negotiating with the purveyors of tobacco. He has stated that no deal will include complete immunity. The production and sale of tobacco may fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission, an awful situation in tobaccos view. There is also talk of a huge ad campaign to undue the damage of years of positive image, no more Marlboro Man. Joe Camel: extinct.
The companies would be hit where it matters most in our market society, giant cash penalties would be assessed and given to the states to pay for the public health costs of the stinking weed.
It may turn out that the current fad that has given cigars popularity
among the cognoscenti was the last gasp of a habit whose day has gone.