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Liggett Group Inc. 



700 West Main Street, Durham, NC 27702 



Statement of Liggett Group Inc. 



The purpose of this statement is to establish for the record 

 the facts concerning the design of cigarettes manufactured by 

 Liggett Group Inc. 



Contrary to assertions that have been made in the press and 

 elsewhere, we do not increase the nicotine level of our cigarettes 

 beyond that found naturally in the tobacco from which our 

 cigarettes are made. 



Over time, and particularly since the advent of the cigarette 

 filter, consumers have shown an increasing preference for "lighter" 

 cigarettes. The "lighter" cigarette is achieved by lowering total 

 smoke delivery. One effect of lowering smoke delivery is a 

 reduction in the nicotine level. The nicotine level in smoke 

 historically has been, and continues to be, approximately 10 

 percent or less of the "tar" level. 



With that background in mind, we would like to address the 

 specific factual allegations made against Liggett by ABC's "Day 

 One" tabloid show. We do not artificially increase the level of 

 nicotine in our cigarettes to allegedly "addict" or otherwise 

 influence our consumers. Reconstituted tobacco, the manufacture 

 and use of which have been publicly documented for decades, is used 

 for the purpose of cost savings. Tobacco is the most expensive 

 component of the cigarette and any loss of that tobacco would make 

 the production of cigarettes that much more expensive. 



The net effect of our use of reconstituted tobacco is a 

 significant reduction in the nicotine level of the finished 

 product. Indeed, reconstituted tobacco has been a significant 

 factor in achieving the lower "t^r" and nicotine products that have 

 been increasingly preferred by consumers in recent years. 



Alcohol and tobacco flavorants are the only other sources of 

 nicotine in our cigarettes. The nicotine occurs naturally in the 

 flavorants and is used as a denaturing agent in the alcohol. The 

 Specially Denatured Alcohol No. 4 (SDA-4) that we use acts as a 

 carrier for flavorants and dissipates after the flavorants are 

 applied. SDA-4 is the only denatured alcohol that has been 

 approved by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for use in 

 the cigarette manufacturing process. The amount of nicotine 

 contributed via tobacco flavorants and denatured alcohol is so 

 minuscule as to be not measurable in tobacco smoke using the 

 accepted FTC method. 



Any attempt purposely to elevate nicotine levels in cigarettes 

 would be reflected in the "tar" and nicotine values that are 

 published each year in the Fedaral Ragistar. In fact, as explained 

 above, the nicotine content of cigarettes manufactured by Liggett 

 is lower than the nicotine content of the tobacco that we use to 

 make our cigarettes. 



