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UPDATE
APRIL 6, 2000
UNABASHED SEATTLE TIMES
With our recent posting about the use of
nicotine patches and gums in Portland schools (see below, April 3), it seems to us at
FORCES that a little reflection is in order.
Perhaps that reflection should include considering paid clinical trials for Glaxo
Wellcome's ZYBAN with school children in Pittsburgh, as well (stay tuned, more on that
in postings next week). Parents should bear in mind that ZYBAN, NICORETTE, and NICO DERM
CQ are distributed by the same pharmaceutical: British Glaxo/SmithKline. And parents
should consider that kids in the ZYBAN trials face a double gauntlet: not only are ZYBAN
and NICORETTE distributed by the same pharmaceutical special-interest, but
"studies" reportedly show that ZYBAN is "most effective" (less than 10
percent on average, after one year) when used with companion "nicotine replacement
therapy."
Whatever one's opinion of smoking may be, it is now transarent that pharmaceutical
nicotine distributors are going after the kids at school. They have every reason to do so:
Not only has the youth nicotine source consumer base been robustly restored under
the auspices of tobacco control programs they helped to finance, but an infrastructure to
sell pharmaceutical nicotine was also established through the tobacco
"settlement." Pharmaceutical nicotine sponsors of tobacco control have created a
new source consumer base for their products (our children); they have successfully crafted
revenue streams to pay for those products (tobacco consumers); and they have seized the
opportunity for direct access to children (through schools) to peddle their wares.
Looking in the face of that corporate special-interest juggernaught, responsible parents
are to believe that pharmaceuticals would never, ever pump as much nicotine through that
youth pipeline as they possibly can, and do so for as long as they can get away with it.
Yup. Right! Uh-Huh. . . Rational people are lead to reasonably ask "If you're not
going to use that special-interest juggernaught, then why did you build it, in the first
place?"
Our reflection harkens back two years, to a time when procedures to successfully exploit
this nicotine "settlement" monopoly youth cauldron were being crafted.
FORCES recently reported the story "Selling Addiction To Kids," (below, April3)
which included copies of correspondence with Philip Morris and public officials in
Washington
State. That posting included copies of April 1999 correspondence with The Seattle Times
regarding The Time's refusal to publish information about blatant conflicts of interest by
pharmaceutical nicotine distributors and tobacco control activists. That 1999
correspondence referenced three commentaries, including "An Unabashed Seattle
Times."
We strongly recommend that
parents and consumers print out the above commentary and read it on reflection from two
years ago. Though reformatted for .PDF, its content remains the same as originally
published. In its two pages is found a compelling story about mainstream
media and professional activists wilfully misleading the public in order to assure
special-interest programs continue.
Is it a lie to promote a program? Of course not. But it is a wilfull lie to refuse to
disclose material truth. When the truth about one's hidden vested interests would make it
impossible to support a program that expressly targets other people's children, hiding the
truth becomes an abusive lie for bucks.
We again invite The Seattle Times to explain to parents its contradictory editorial
discretion and news reporting policies. We would particularly appreciate an answer from
The Seattle Times as to how wilfully suppressing material information about tobacco
control activists' conflicts of interest honestly serves their readers or reader's
children. And we parents would like to understand from The Times why its editors presume
to mandate through alleged editorial discretion what parents are entitled to know.
Parents and kids in Portland, Oregon would no doubt appreciate an explanation from The
Seattle Times, as well. It is, after all, mainstream media that has made such a travesty
as putting kids on addictive nicotine patches and gums possible. They made it possible
through self-serving silence.
What responsible parent could possibly buy into or support professional activists
promoting kids on nicotine, were they to know that those activists were paid by corporate
interests that also financed programs that produced an explosive increase in youth
smoking?
Editorial by Norman Kjono
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April 3, 2000
On February 27, 2001 Assistant Secretary of
Health for the State of Washington Jackson L. Williams responded to Mr. Kjono's letter of
January 29, 2001 to members of the Washington State Legislature, on which Washington
Attorney General Christine O. Gregoire and Washington Secretary of Health Mary C. Selecky
were copied. Mr. Kjono's letter of January 29, 2001 was previously posted here on FORCES.
Mr. Kjono forwarded a copy of his reply to
Assistant Secretary Williams (not yet posted on FORCES) to Geoffrey C. Bible, CEO, Philip
Morris Companies. Mr. Bible was included in a mailing of Mr. Kjono's response to all
members of the Washington State Legislature, as well as his mailing list.
FORCES announced ongoing posting of correspondence with public officials regarding tobacco
control issues when we presented Mr. Kjono's
letter to the Washington State Legislature. We do so in accordance with our continuing
commitment to free and open public discourse regarding tobacco control issues. We believe
that government is, first, BY THE PEOPLE. We also believe that the people are entitled to
make up their own minds regarding important issues, and that they are lawfully entitled to
consider many views in doing so. People intelligently govern themselves through taking the
time to understand different aspects of important public policy.
As we post this additional correspondence we are mindful of the adage "When
everyone is told how to think alike nobody thinks very much." Few sentiments
could be more appropriate when considering the artfully crafted and carefully managed
mantras promoted by the tobacco control enterprise. For those who would like to make up
their own minds we recommend Mr. Kjono's most recent correspondence. Then, as always, you
be the judge of your own conclusions.
Seven documents (4 letters and three
commentaries) are included in this posting. To us at FORCES the bottom line of that
information is tobacco control wilfully crafts and aggressively promotes new consumer
beliefs in addiction to tobacco; that theme is unique to and created by tobacco control;
and the intended purposes of doing so are to increase youth smoking persistence and to
increase tobacco consumer price tolerance. The net result of those activities is to assure
a stable and stream of tobacco "settlement" and to increase cigarette tax
revenues without materially decreasing youth or adult demand for cigarettes.
Ultimately, what people intended to do in the past is proven by what they presently do
today. In Washington, having spent the past several months promoting tobacco addiction in
news articles, on billboards near schools, and in Legacy Foundation television
advertisements, the Washington tobacco control enterprise has now filed an initiative to
add sixty cents per pack in new cigarette taxes.
We would find it much easier to believe that Washington Attorney General Christine O.
Gregoire and her Tobacco Control Task Force genuinely intended to reduce youth smoking
through that tax increase had she and her cronies not spent the past several months
teaching kids that they are "addicted" "from the first puff" should
they experiment with smoking, and that they therefore must pay whatever price the tobacco
control monopoly demands for cigarettes.
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