FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 1997
Criminal complaint filed against ASH (Action On Smoking And Health)
A prominent anti-smoking group is the subject of a criminal complaint filed by a Redmond,
Washington man.
Norman E. Kjono has formally complained to the FBI about Action On Smoking And
Health (ASH), a Washington, D.C. based anti-smoking lobby group, because the group
is promoting a book on its website that describes in detail a method of cigarette product
tampering with cyanide. The headline of that ASH promotion is, "New Book Tells How Protagonist Kills Smokers".
"The means to commit the domestic terrorism crime of tobacco product cyanide
tampering are openly promoted by Action On Smoking And Health (ASH) and its
Executive Director, John Banzhaf, Esq. In view of ASH's anti-tobacco agenda, seizing the
opportunity to do so is legitimized by the ASH promotion," Kjono alleges.
The book, "Gasp! A novel of Revenge" describes a product tampering scheme which
author Frank Freudberg said he tested without actually inserting cyanide in cigarette
packages. The book is published by Barricade Books, publishers of the highly
controversial "The Anarchist's Cook Book."
"In researching the book, I did everything my character did except, of course, actually poison people," said
Frank Freudberg, the Wayne, Pennsylvania, author of the book. "I even dialed an 800 number and ordered cyanide
crystals and had them sent to a mail box service ... a week later I had enough cyanide to murder 2,500 people."
Kjono said he filed the complaint because he believes the ASH promotion is tantamount
to using fear and intimidation against a target group of U.S. citizens to further an anti-tobacco agenda from which the organization benefits.
ASH has been honored at the White House by President Bill Clinton.