European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 29, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 8 the stars and stripes thursday september 29,1977 smoking debate will have a political ring final article in a 10-Day series of Sto Ries by staff writer Bob Hoyer the great american debate Over smok ing now shifts into its most crucial phase the legislative and court actions that ultimately must shape future decisions. While millions argue the merits of smok ing or not smoking vested interests Are digging in for what promises to be one of the toughest political Battles in the nation s history. Spokesmen for the tobacco interests cite the More than $6 billion in taxes collected annually by the Federal state and local governments As proof of the Industry s clout. Industry critics charge that from two to five times this amount is spent every year to care for patients afflicted with disease linked to cigarette smoking. They further argue that Federal subsidies of tobacco Are in conflict with government warnings about the hazards of smoking. Focus on cigarettes the debate on smoking will be exhaustive and almost certainly bitter. Spotlight ing the debate in the coming weeks and months will be a Federal Trade commis Sion review of cigarette advertising and drives in both houses of Congress to re Structure the current eight cent Federal cigarette tax. Rated the most lethal of tobacco products by health authorities the cigarette is bearing the Brunt of the antismoking at from electronic Media in 1970, cigarette advertising in the print Media now is being probed by the Etc. After a series of delays hearings Are scheduled to open in the . District court in Washington sept. 21. Named in the Etc subpoenas Are the nation s six largest cigarette manufacturers two tobacco Trade associations and 20 advertising agencies. All 28 Are charged with failure to report advertising expenditures As required by Law. During its investigation the Etc will at tempt to determine if unfairness and deception were used in advertising and promoting cigarettes. Taxed by contents on the legislative front a new formula for determining Federal tax on cigarettes is built into Senate and House Bills both of which would tax cigarettes by tar and Tine Content rather than at the current Flat rate of eight cents a Bills Call for a phase in period of four years during which the tax on cigarettes would go from the eight cent rate to a sliding tax that would reflect the nicotine and tax Content in five brackets. Cigarettes in the highest nicotine and tar bracket would be taxed at 50 cents a package. Those in the lowest bracket would be tax urging support for the Senate Bill sen. Gary Hart d-colo., one of four Spon sors pointed out that cigarette smoking now costs american health services from $11.5 billion to $30 billion a year to care for patients suffering from smoking related for the tobacco Institute the Industry s major Trade organization insist the intent of the sliding tax formula is to discourage cigarette , who is joined by Sens. Edward Brooke r-mass., Mark Hatfield r-ore., and Edward Kennedy d-mass., in Spon Soring the tax Bill denies the allegation. Those opposed to this legislation will try to argue that the health Protection tax constitutes a ban on cigarettes he said. That charge is simply false. We and should not attempt an absolute ban on cigarettes. What we Are proposing How Ever is to provide an incentive for smok ers to reduce their consumption of the toxic products contained in cigarettes. Any reduction in the amount of toxic sub stances inhaled by cigarette smokers will ultimately result in a reduction of smok ing related deaths and opponents of the sliding tax argue that cigarettes now costing the Industry 17 cents a pack to produce Are already too costly to the consumer and will become even More expensive if the new tax Struc Ture is adopted. Effect on jobs they further Point out that More than a million people engaged in the growing of tobacco and the production and marketing of cigarettes would be adversely affected by the new the tax formula Are the nation s major health organizations the american cancer society the american lung association the american heart association the american Public health association and others All of which cite the link Between cigarette smoking and de generative diseases As a reason Why the Public should be urged to smoke safer Cigar . Daniel Horn director of the National Clearing House for smoking and health favors a gradual reduction of tar and Tine to allow the smoker to adjust to lower Levels. While much of the current push by anti smoking groups focuses on a new tax Structure other legislative efforts Are being offered to curb smoking. Rep. Robert f. Drinan d-mass., author of the House tax Bill has sponsored additional Bills that would strengthen the warn ing on cigarette packages separate smokers and nonsmokers in Public areas of Federal buildings and facilities used in interstate Commerce and place tobacco products under jurisdiction of the food and drug administration. Despite vigorous opposition to All of this legislation antismoking groups in con Gress feel they Are gradually making head smoking 10 it. Rat it s hard for smokers to be up to snuff to snuff out the cigarette habit for Good with no Butts about it. Is by Schuettler Way against the powerful tobacco lobby. The split within government Over the to Bacco subsidy programs is reflected in the opposing views of health education and welfare Secretary Joseph a. Califano agriculture Secretary Bob Bergland. Califano has criticized the government for the contradictory policy of subsidizing tobacco while spending More than $8 Mil lion a year in programs to get people to quit smoking. Bergland on the other hand has repeat edly warned that the end of supports could put hundreds of thousands of tobacco growers out of business principally in North Carolina Kentucky South Carolina Georgia Virginia and Tennessee the six largest producer states. Up to now All efforts to trim subsidies which run from $44 million to $78 million a year experts disagree on the amount have been voted Down in Congress. Included in this action was the defeat earlier this year of an attempt to Cut tobacco from the food for peace program. Emotional Issue at the growers Vantage Point tobacco is largely an emotional and bread and butter Issue that dates Back to the Early years of the nation when tobacco crops were grown to build an Export Market. In Pitt county n.c., the nation s largest producing county Gross value of flue cured tobacco last year was $55 million most of the crop is produced on modest family owned farms of 60 acres or less. Growers in this and other regions of the to Bacco Belt claim they would be deprived of mos Moking beyond this sign their livelihoods if tobacco subsidies were the manufacturing Side of the tobacco business cigarette companies Are concentrating efforts on new Low nicotine and Low tar brands apparently in anticipation of eventual government limits of these two toxic firms Are developing an Artioli Cial tobacco which contains no nicotine the addictive agent that is linked to Dis eases of the heart and blood vessels. Although health authorities claim More than 30 million americans have quit smok ing cigarette companies continue to Prosper As new sales records Are set Evi by year. Fewer smoke More even with a lower percentage of the population smoking the . Average annual per capita consumption of cigarettes continues in excess of 4,000 a year proof thai those who smoke Are smoking More than Ever. Researchers examining smoking habits attribute the increase in individual con sumption to two factors smokers switching to less toxic cigarettes tend to increase consumption often by substantial amounts. The average cigarette now marketed contains approximately 30 per cent less to Bacco than the average cigarette sold inthe Early 1950s, a figure that is supported by department of agriculture statistics. Despite the High expectations of cigarette companies for the future Horn is con Vinced that the business eventually will reflect a National decline in smoking. My guess is that Over the next 10 years we will be where 20 to 25 per cent of the people will use something called a cigarette Horn said. Opponents of legislative efforts to in crease controls Over tobacco Point out that prohibition did t work with alcohol and it won t work with tobacco. They express fears that excess control could develop an illegitimate Market and increase a Black Market problem that is already evident in the hijacking of cigarettes in Low tax areas. Directors and health officials dealing with smoking related diseases which now have reached epidemic proportions see the Issue differently. They urge action now they say the Public must be led the world in cultivating to Bacco and in developing and promoting to Bacco products. In coming years it has the Opportunity to Lead the world in weaning millions from smoking
