Smoking Out The Tobacco Industry: Minnesota Trial Hot Quotes #2 [2/20-1]

Following are more of the most significant quotes from the Minnesota Medicaid trial that were compiled by the Minnesota Attorney General's Office.

Tobacco Companies Understand that Nicotine is Addictive

" The tendency is to blame the smoker. But the smoker isn't the problem. The drug is the problem." - Dr. Richard Hurt, Director of the Mayo Clinic's Nicotine Dependence Center

" We are searching explicitly for a socially acceptable addictive product...The essential constituent is most likely to be nicotine or a direct substitute for it." - August 1979 memo by BAT on the search for a potential replacement for cigarettes

" Nicotine is the addicting agent in cigarettes." - 1982 B&W Tobacco Company document on getting smokers to switch brands

" Taken together, the evidence suggests that self-administration of nicotine may be the primary motivation for smoking." -1984 BAT document describing nicotine s addictive qualities in scientific detail

" Very few customers are aware of the effects of nicotine, i.e. its addictive nature and that nicotine is a poison." -1978 B&W document

Tobacco Companies Recognize the Power of Nicotine

"They said in their internal documents that without nicotine, there would be no cigarette industry" - Stanford University Biochemical Engineering Professor Channing Robertson

" We now possess a knowledge of the effects of nicotine far more extensive than exists in published scientific literature." -1962 Private and Confidential BAT memo

" Nicotine is by far the most characteristic single constituent in tobacco, and the known physiological effects are positively correlated with smoker response." -1963 British American Tobacco document

" We are in a nicotine rather than a tobacco industry." - British American Tobacco Co. senior executive, as quoted in the minutes from a 1971 meeting of executives.

" The cigarette should not be construed as a product but a package. The product is nicotine. Think of a puff of smoke as the vehicle for nicotine." - William L. Dunn Jr., Philip Morris researcher, after taking part in a 1972 Caribbean meeting held by the Council for Tobacco Research

" The cigarette was viewed as an engineered device for the specific purpose of delivering nicotine into the human body." - Stanford University Biochemical Engineering Professor Channing Robertson Tobacco Companies Manipulate Nicotine

"I had not even dreamed there was this much work done over the years, especially with regard to pH (acidity/alkalinity) and nicotine manipulation." - Dr. Richard Hurt, Director of the Mayo Clinic's Nicotine Dependence Center

" Irrespective of the ethics involved, we should develop alternative designs (that do not invite obvious criticism) which will allow the smoker to obtain significant enhanced deliveries [of nicotine] should he so wish." - 1984 BATCo memo

" It may well be to remind you, however, that we have a research program in progress to obtain, by genetic means, any level of nicotine. " - 1963 memo by B&W researcher, R.B. Griffth

" The secret of Marlboro is ammonia." - Scientist in 1989 Brown & Williamson Tobacco report

" RJR introduced ammoniated sheet (processed tobacco) material in the Camel filter product in 1974. Better market performance was indicated in subsequent years." -undated R.J. Reynolds report

" [A]ny desired additional nicotine kick could be easily obtained through pH regulation." -1973 R.J. Reynolds memo titled Cigarette concept to assure RJR a larger segment of the youth market

" Liggett Group Inc. document indicates they were researching the effects of adjusting pH levels with the, eventual goal of lowering the total amount of nicotine while increasing the effect of the nicotine. " -1972 Liggett Document

" They knew the importance of pH and its relationship to the freebase effect and other effects." - Stanford University Biochemical Engineering Professor Channing Robertson

Tobacco Companies Know Nicotine Addiction Creates Profits

"Effective control of nicotine in our products should equate to a significant product performance and cost advantage." - May 1991 R.J. Reynolds report

Quoting Oscar Wilde, ' A cigarette is the perfect type of pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied,' BAT employee Colin Greig goes on to say, " Let us provide the exquisiteness, and hope that they, our consumers, continue to remain unsatisfied. All we would want then is a larger bag to carry the money to the bank." - undated BAT marketing strategies document

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