SUMMARY OF QUOTES: in their own words
[as highlighted in the original project report provided by InfoImagination and commissioned by the ACS, Texas Division]

Industry's strategy to defeat health educators
"...you win if the public and the press believe you are reasonable and the radicals are unreasonable"

Concerning the American Cancer Society's "Great American Smokeout"
"The Smokeout is 'a publicity campaign, a gimmick.' The money would be better spent on basic cancer research."

Using third-parties as industry front groups
"Falkiewics sent me a copy of a favorable article on smoking, cholesterol, coffee, and health in the February American Scholar by Dr. William Nolen... We should be dropping reprints of it from airplanes over the [sic] every national and state capitol where anyone is dictating restrictions on smoking or food products... he encourages skepticism not only about medical announcements [regarding tobacco], but about the whole fitness trend of which the attacks on our products are often a part."

Philip Morris on their prized Marlboro product
"The emphasis on Marlboro is obvious. It is the crown jewel of our portfolio due to its position as the world's most profitable trademark. Its younger smoker base also means that its profit stream has a longer time horizon than our other brands. Finally, because Marlboro is the focus of the financial community's attention, we cannot let its performance weaken."

Philip Morris furthers false scare strategy regarding ETS
"In addition, the Board was also provided with an economic impact report, prepared by Philip Morris, estimating the revenue the airport [DWF] is likely to loose if the total [smoking] ban is enacted."

Philip Morris contradicts their scare strategy regarding ETS
"...the economic arguments often used by the industry to scare off smoking ban activity were no longer working, if indeed they ever did. These arguments simply had no credibility with the public, which isn't surprising when you consider that our dire predictions in the past rarely came true."

R.J. Reynolds reports on the science of ETS (1986)

"Dr. Hammond pointed out previous epidemiology studies have been hampered by the lack of good analytical data for ETS constituents. She indicated that serious misclassifications have resulted. 'However', she said, 'these misclassifications have tended to cause an underestimation of health effects of ETS.'

...Her study investigated exposure of clerks, brakemen, engineers, and shop repair workers in the railroad industry. Not surprisingly, those exposed indoors, where smoking was permitted, had the heaviest portion of the RSP [respirable suspended particulates] exposure due to ETS."

Philip Morris reseachers receive report on ETS (1992)
"In skin painting studies using sidestream smoke condensate on mice, it has been shown that sidesteam smoke (SS) contains compounds that act under extreme conditions like a complete carcinogen. Very probably this will also be true for excessive inhaled doses of SS in rats."

Why the industry opposes smoking restrictions
"The immediate implications for our business our clear; if our consumers have fewer opportunities to enjoy our products, they will use them less frequently and the result will be an adverse impact on our bottom line."

On accommodation and preemption
"Accommodation/pre-emption is vital to all the efforts of PM Corporate Affairs. If smoking is not seen as legitimate, our work on every other issue becomes that much more difficult."

How the industry affects local health initiatives
"The legislation doesn't prevent boards of health from proposing bans, and it doesn't violate home rule; it just imposes a bureaucratic nightmare of hoops a board must jump through before they can get their smoking ban proposals on the books."

Purpose of the Tobacco Action Network
"We have this structure, these resources, for one reason: To defeat measures deemed detrimental to the free and open working of the tobacco industry. In other words, to kill bills and other anti-tobacco bugaboos."

Philip Morris comments about their negative public image
"Negative Image: ...While our primary goal may be to defeat onerous legislation, and protect our business interests, it would help if we could effectively convince people (society) that we are not the ultimate evil empire giant - that we are a company comprised of human beings - spouses, lovers, friends, parents, sons and daughters. To do this, we should repeatedly publicize and toot (or tout) our own horn, if you will."

Texas is ground zero in the industry's products liability campaign
"All of you will have received recently a package of material on the products liability bill currently before the Texas Senate, under cover of a memorandum from Don Walsh... A victory in Texas will send a clear and aggressive signal that Civil Liability Reform is still an important agenda item for the Business Community throughout the nation."

Effectiveness of the Tobacco Action Network
"In Longview, Texas, a front has begun to place a smoking ordinance in the city. To date, there has been one planning meeting which resulted in a study being done by the city council to determine if there is a need for a smoking ordinance. DM [district manager], Fred Spencer attended this meeting with a number of other PM employees and distributors and the city council was caught totally off guard that there would be any resistance at this point.

As a result of Fred and his group, the smoking ordinance decision was postponed and has gone to a committee appointed by the council."

Philip Morris strategy regarding Spanish-speaking immigrants to Texas
"Important to reach them early as they shape their brand preferences in the U.S."