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Statement of 



Alexander W. Spears 



Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer 



Lorillard Tobacco Company 



before the 



Subcommittee on 



Health and the Environment 



of the 



Committee on Energy and Commerce 



U.S. House of Representatives 



March 25, 1994 



My name is Alexander W. Spears, and I am Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer 

 for Lorillard Tobacco Company. 



Within the last few weeks, ABC's DAY ONE show has featured two cigarette-related 

 programs alleging that the tobacco industry adds nicotine to cigarette tobacco for the purpose 

 of manipulating the dose of nicotine to the consumer. These statements are completely false. 



David Kessler, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, stated in a letter to 

 Scott Ballin of the Coalition on Smoking or Health dated February 25, 1994, that manufacturers 

 commonly add nicotine to cigarettes to deliver specific amounts of nicotine. This letter was 

 released to the media, perpetuating its false assertions. 



The level of nicotine in the tobacco of our products is solely determined by the 

 tobacco that we buy and blending of the different tobaccos during manufacturing. The tar and 



