599 



The second allegations was that U.S. Tobacco has conducted sci- 

 entific research for the purpose of, quote, "Creating and maintain- 

 ing dependence among smokeless tobacco consumers." And, third, 

 the allegation that U.S. Tobacco products are developed in the 

 basis of some sort of graduating levels of nicotine. 



As to the allegation that U.S. Tobacco markets these products to 

 persons under the age of 18, that allegation is absolutely false. We 

 strongly believe at U.S. Tobacco that those who enjoy our products 

 should be adults. That is why U.S. Tobacco and other smokeless to- 

 bacco manufacturers have devoted substantial efforts and resources 

 to discourage the sale of their products to minors. 



Those efforts include support of State laws mandating 18 as a 

 minimum purchase age for smokeless tobacco products. Programs 

 to remind parents, retailers, and other adults that smokeless to- 

 bacco is an adult custom not intended for youth, a national cam- 

 paign in publications such as U.S.A. Today, U.S. News and World 

 Report to communicate our adults only policy. 



I, too, am concerned reports indicating that some individuals 

 have tried tobacco products including smokeless tobacco before they 

 are adults. Research, conducted by others, indicates that advertis- 

 ing plays little, if any, role in the decision to begin using smokeless 

 tobacco. That research indicates that a variety of factors, including 

 family and friends appear to influence the decision to begin using 

 various products, including smokeless tobacco. 



It's noteworthy that according to a recent Department of Health 

 and Human Services Report, use of smokeless tobacco by males 

 under 18 years of age is low, decreasing, and very close to HHS's 

 target or goal for the year 2000. 



In 1992, Healthy People Review states that the reported use of 

 smokeless tobacco, which is defined as use on at least one occasion 

 in the last 30 days by 12 to 17 year old males decreased by 20 per- 

 cent from 6.6 percent in 1988 to 5.3 percent in 1991. 



Moreover, a survey published in October 1993, by the Substance 

 Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, reported that 

 the use of smokeless tobacco by 12 to 17 year old males had further 

 declined in 1992 to 4.8 percent, which is very close to the 4 percent 

 target for the year 2000 in Healthy People 2000 Review. 



Even though these trends are encouraging, they're not good 

 enough. We're not going to rest until that figure is zero. U.S. To- 

 bacco will continue its efforts, with other members of the industry, 

 to discourage the sale of smokeless tobacco products to minors. 



As for the allegation that U.S. Tobacco has conducted scientific 

 research for the purpose of, and I quote, "Creating and maintaining 

 dependence among consumers," that allegation is also false. The re- 

 search in question was funded by U.S. Tobacco and other tobacco 

 manufacturers. 



However, it was neither intended or used by U.S. Tobacco to de- 

 velop or manufacture smokeless tobacco products. The research 

 was conducted 15 years ago by a group of independent researchers 

 in the Department of Pharmacology at Pennsylvania State Univer- 

 sity College of Medicine. 



For a number of years, the Pennsylvania State researchers had 

 been interested in measuring extremely low levels of blood nicotine 

 in tobacco consumers. And later they became interested in studying 



