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Mr. Waxman. Thank you, Mr. Bliley. 



Before calling on Mr. Synar to go through his questions, I want 

 to recognize the distinguished Chairman of the Energy and Com- 

 merce Committee, Mr. Dingell. 



Mr. Dingell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for this courtesy. Mr. 

 Chairman, I came down to ask no questions, but I wanted to com- 

 mend you for having this hearing. I think you are going into an ex- 

 tremely important question, one which is a matter within the re- 

 sponsibility of this committee and one which is a major public 

 health concern. 



And Dr. Kessler, I want to commend you and your associates at 

 the table there for your assistance to us. You have approached an 

 extremely important question, in what I think is a highly profes- 

 sional, scientific, and decent way. I want to express my commenda- 

 tions to you, as I do to the chairman for holding this hearing today. 

 This is an important question, and I will be following it very closely 

 as the committee proceeds with its business on this matter. 



And Mr. Chairman, I thank you, and I thank you. Doctor, for 

 your kindness to us today. 



Mr. Waxman. Mr. Synar. 



Mr. Synar. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



And Dr. Kessler, thank you. I think, as the chairman of our full 

 committee just said, this is very important. I don't think I would 

 be exaggerating to suggest that we have just witnessed some of the 

 most historic testimony in the history of Congress on any subject. 

 And you and your staff who have been working on this, not just 

 in the last month but in the last year, are to be commended for the 

 courage and the leadership that you are taking on this. 



I want to go back to something Chairman Waxman said: whether 

 or not nicotine is a drug will somehow be determined on looking 

 at the manufacturer's intent. You also go on to say that you are 

 concerned about the industry's manipulation of that nicotine. 



That does not mean, does it, strictly speaking that they spiked 

 it to higher or more pure levels, but that they just changed the 

 level? Is that not correct? 



Mr. Kessler. That is correct. Congressman. Our concern is the 

 control over the nicotine levels and why those levels are being set 

 the way they are. 



Again, you can change nicotine levels either by adjusting endoge- 

 nous amount of nicotine or you can achieve adding exogenous nico- 

 tine. In the end, it is irrelevant how you increase the nicotine. 



It is almost irrelevant. There is some tobacco industry research 

 that I have seen that suggests exogenous — suggests — it is old; it is 

 in the literature that suggests that exogenous nicotine may, in fact, 

 be a little more active. I would be interested in seeing that data, 

 but it makes no differences for the purposes of the Food and Drug 

 Administration . 



Mr. Synar. The chairman asked me to ask you what those two 

 terms mean. 



Mr. Waxman. Will the gentleman yield? 



Mr. Kessler. Let me use an analogy. It is something that has 

 been in the news lately. It is the Big Bertha example, BST, which 

 has been in the news. 



