TOBACCO INDUSTRY QUOTES

Terence Sullivan, a sales representative for R.J.Reynolds, says:

“We were targeting kids, and I said at the time it was unethical and maybe illegal, but I was told it was just company policy.”

Sullivan remembers someone asking who exactly were the young people that R.J.Reynolds was targeting – junior high school kids or even younger?

The reply was:

“They got lips? We want them.”

“It’s a well known fact that teenagers like sweet products. Honey might be considered.”
1972 Brown and Williamson memo, among documents released by US Rep John Conyers in February 1998

“We will no longer be able to rely on a rapidly increasing pool of teenagers from which to replace smokers lost through normal attrition. Because of our high share of the market among the youngest smokers, Philip Morris will suffer more than the other companies from the decline in the number of teenage smokers.”
1981 report sent from researcher Myron E. Johnston to Robert B. Seligman, then vice president of research and development at Philip Morris in Richmond

“The desire to quit seems to come earlier now than ever before, even prior to the end of high school. In fact it often seems to take hold as soon as the recent starter admits to himself that he is hooked on smoking. However the desire to quit and actually carrying it out, are two quite different things, as the would-be quitter soon learns.”
Project Plus/Minus Report for ITL by Kwechansky Marketing Report for Imperial Tobacco Limited. Montreal 1982

“(Brown and Williamson) will not support a youth smoking program which discourages young people from smoking.”
1983 Tobacco Institute memo US News 05/04/98

“Attract young smokers to replace the older ones who were dying or quitting…I was part of a scam, selling an image to young boys. My job was to get half a million kids to smoke by 1985.”
Dave Goerlitz, lead model for RJ Reynolds for 7 years, talking about his marketing brief in the Sunday Times 1992

“They represent tomorrow’s cigarette business. As this 14-24 age group matures, they will account for a key share of the total cigarette volume – for at least the next 25 years.”
RJ Reynolds marketing plan presented to the company’s board of directors, 30/9/74

“Long after adolescent preoccupation with self-image has subsided, the cigarette will even pre-empt food in times of scarcity on the smoker’s priority list.”
Presentation to the Philip Morris Board of Directors 26/11/69

“Evidence is now available that the 14 to 18 year old group is an increasing segment of the smoking population. RJ Reynolds Tobacco must soon establish a successful new brand in this market if our position in the industry is to be maintained over the long term.”
Draft report for RJ Reynolds Tobacco 1976

“It is important to know as much as possible about teenage smoking patterns and attitudes. Today’s teenager is tomorrow’s potential regular customer, and the overwhelming majority of smokers first begin to smoke while still in their teens. The smoking patterns of teenagers are particularly important to Philip Morris.”
Philip Morris Companies Inc 1981

“The ability to attract new smokers and develop them into a young adult franchise is key to brand development.”
Philip Morris report, 1999

“To ensure increased and longer term growth for CAMEL FILTER, the brand must increase its share penetration among the 14-24 age group which have a new set of more liberal values and which represent tomorrow’s cigarette business.”
RJ Reynolds 1975

“The concept is a simple one- Flanigan Enterprises is proposing a children’s video be made to advertise the Camel product. This can be done through a series of ful-cel animation (Disney style) videos directed towards the youth of today. Children love cartoons and these can be incorporated into the purchasing of cartons/packets of Camel cigarettes.”
Letter from Flanagan enterprises to RJ Reynolds Tobacco Development Co, 1988

“We did not look at the underage market even though I am holding a document in my hand that says we did.”
Videotaped testimony in the Minnesota lawsuit

“We don’t smoke that s***, we just sell it. We reserve the right to smoke for the young, the poor, the black and the stupid.”
RJ Reynolds executive cited in First Tuesday, ITV, 1992