JUST before Christmas of 1953, executives in the New York office of Hill and Knowlton finished drafting a strategy memorandum for the tobacco industry. The document got right to the point. It began:
"Because of the grave nature of a number of recently highly publicized research reports on the effects of cigarette smoking, widespread public interest has developed, causing great concern within and without the industry.
These developments have confronted the industry with a serious problem of public relations. Obviously, that problem would be quickly solved if the adverse publicity would cease and people would stop talking about the whole matter.
But there is no evidence that the publicity has abated, or is about to abate, or that research workers who are critical of cigarettes are going to cease these criticisms. . . . There is nothing the manufacturers can say or refrain from saying that can stop people from being interested in their health, nor allay their fear of cancer."
This is just the beginning of a nine page memo that pretty much flat out said that they need ideas on how to shut people up about their product killing people.
I feel really stupid for having smoked for 26 years, and for still wanting to smoke every day.
Publication Information: Book Title: Health in the Headlines: The Stories behind the Stories. Contributors: Stephen Klaidman - author. Publisher: Oxford University Press. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1991. Page Number: 182.
Current Mood: pissed off
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/19/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 88
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,768
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $308
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 7 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 26 [B]Seconds:[/B] 41
