Tobacco Companies and Electronic Cigarettes

Vin Tusa, CAO/Managing Director
eCigInfoCenter.com

A Canadian-European collaboration, this film is a no-holds barred attack on the global tobacco industry.

Filmmaker Nadia Collot exposes how the tobacco industry has been lying to the world for decades (they lied about the risks of their products and about targeting children). She utilizes proof from tobacco company documents (among numerous other sources, including former tobacco industry executive’s, scientist’s, etc.) to reveal their unparalleled corporate deceit, negligence, and immoral, highly unscrupulous, health and life costing tactics, all in the name of greed. A former smoker herself, Collot admits that it took her 20 years to quit. This film is the result of three years of investigation.

There are numerous startling statistics and absurdities throughout the film such as at 1:49 into the film “In the world 5 million smokers die every year (of smoking related illnesses), the equivalent of 30 747’s crashing every day – 13,000 people die from smoking related causes each day. One hundred million smokers died in the 20th century, and the prediction is that if nothing changes a billion will die in the 21st. The tobacco industry is responsible for these hundreds of millions of deaths”. And, at 3:52 into the film – A fifty’s (or so) TV smoking ad touting how one will feel better smoking Philip Morris, at 7:55 into the film – another fifty’s TV ad of big tobacco trying to convince the public that smoking is safe, at 9:04 into the film – TV footage of tobacco industry executives testifying in front of congress that they “believe” that nicotine is not addictive, and so on.

In 1953, the tobacco companies, though being “at war” with each other, met to form a common front to combat the loss of smokers due to the growing medical concern of the dangers of smoking. That meeting resulted in the longest and most expensive public relations campaign in history, the impact of which is still being felt today and has led directly to hundreds of millions of deaths. Although they knew then that 94.1% of male patients with cancer of the lungs were smokers, and that tests had been done showing that substances from tobacco caused cancer in mice, the tobacco companies’ issued a nationwide ad campaign “The Frank Statement” in which they denied that smoking causes cancer. They promised that, if cigarettes proved dangerous, they would be pulled off the market. While a clear lie, there was no political opposition until the 1990s.

At a hearing organized by 46 American states, in 1998, each of the seven tobacco company executives who were called to testify denies that nicotine is addictive. The resolution was that the tobacco companies would pay 201 billion dollars to avoid a verdict. They were also forbidden to market to children (in the United States) and to make available to the public all of their documents. No documents could be destroyed until 2008. While they released millions of pages of useless information, dogged research unearthed some interesting admissions: “Nicotine is addictive. We are in the business of selling an addictive drug.” The film shows that the tobacco companies have had a free hand in what they did. When other companies were intrigued by the success of Marlboro cigarettes, they analyzed the contents. They discovered that ammonia had been added to the tobacco in order to increase the nicotine uptake into the body. Instead of reporting this discovery, the other companies also added ammonia to their cigarettes. Dr. William Farone, former director of research for Phillip Morris (1976-1984), states that he initially joined the company in 1976 to search for ways to make cigarettes safer. After hundreds of millions of dollars were spent to find these ways, which they did, none were ever implemented. At 22:06 into the film, LISTEN CLOSELY AS HE BEGINS TO SPEAK OF WHY SAFER PRODUCTS WERE NOT INTRODUCED, AND THEN GOES ON TO SPEAK OF A PRODUCT THAT OFFERS BENEFITS VERY SIMILAR TO THE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE.

Successes in the battle against the tobacco industry are celebrated in the film. Canada was the first to place graphic warnings on cigarette packages. Since 2001, other countries have followed suit. Increasing the cost of cigarettes, limiting advertising, making youth access more difficult have all had an impact in reducing smoking in young people to 19%. Anti-smoking movements/ commercials have become common and some of these are featured in the film.

Collot shows how despite the restriction on tobacco advertising, the companies have managed to infiltrate their way into movies and television. Following a montage of famous movie scenes which feature smoking, the film states that smoking in movies actually declined over the decades.

However, since the 1990s, smoking in movies has increased to the point where it is worse now than 50 years ago. Sylvester Stallone was paid $500,000 to show smoking in five of his films. Philip Morris paid to have smoking included in Superman II. There is no smoking in Superman I. The accusation is made that the companies work together to push the limits regarding anti-smoking laws.

With 70% taxation on cigarettes, governments are in a difficult position. Ministries of Finance find themselves in a conflict with Ministries of Health. In France in the 1960s, it was determined that a cigarette company had no duty to inform about the dangers of smoking because that would have lowered the revenues to the Public Treasury. The French court ruled that, “the health of a 14 year old French citizen was less important than the health of the Treasury.”

The World Health Organization has come out against smoking and signed a treaty on tobacco control. While this may be a victory, the film shows that this only works in countries where the rules would be enforced. Smuggling cigarettes into poorer countries is another ploy used by the tobacco companies (at 1:18:45 into the film see the disgusting tactics used to take advantage of the poor, the young and the uneducated). Cigarettes are given away to the people. Once they are hooked, the smugglers charge and make huge profits. Then the tobacco companies show the governments all the lost revenue they could be making. They offer to distribute or even manufacture the products and ensure a steady flow of tax money to the government. Africa has shown a 16% increase in cigarette use. The cigarette companies have pulled out all the stops in Africa – free cigarettes, sports and music sponsorship, even Marlboro logoed baby clothes. One mother complains that there is no food in the house, but her husband “would rather spend last coins on cigarettes than food for the children.” She asks, “How can I stop him when he is addicted?” The children ask for money with which to buy cigarettes. When they are told no, they turn to theft. Will the tobacco industry react when it really is on the ropes like what they are, racketeers, it’s unclear because it’s not on the ropes; it’s winning.

The final scene of the film shows a person in a coffin made of and filled with cigarette packages. Words across the screen state that, since this film began, 671 people have died because of tobacco, and then the number changes to 672.