The U.S. Justice Department wants big cigarette manufacturers to admit they lied about the dangers of smoking. This would force the industry to set up and pay for an advertising campaign apologizing for their past behavior, or face charges for contempt of court.
As part of a 12-year-old lawsuit against the tobacco industry. The government released 14 “corrective statements.”
Examples of these proposed statements include:
“A federal court is requiring tobacco companies to tell the truth about cigarette smoking. Here’s the truth: Smoking kills 1,200 Americans. Every day.”
“We falsely marketed low tar and light cigarettes as less harmful than regular cigarettes to keep people smoking and sustain our profits. Here’s the truth: We control nicotine delivery to create and sustain smokers’ addiction, because that’s how we keep customers coming back.”
The government proposed 14 statements to cover the addictiveness of nicotine, the lack of health benefit from “low tar,” “ultra-light” and “mild” cigarettes and negative health effects of second-hand smoke.
The proposed statements are labeled “Paid for” by the name of the cigarette manufacturer “under order of a federal district court.”
[Source]
Chapter: Stop Smoking :: 18 May 2011
