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Mr. Waxman. Thank you very much, Mr. Taddeo. 



Mr. Taddeo. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Waxman. I and all my colleagues on the subcommittee ap- 

 preciate your being here. Your participation in the subcommittee's 

 ongoing investigation into tobacco is essential. This is, however, not 

 going to be an easy day. We have a lot of substantive issues that 

 we want to go into. 



When we hear about scientific disputes, we have to listen to one 

 expert versus another. But let me tell you there are some things 

 that we know about from our own personal experience. I was a 

 smoker and I know how addicted I was to smoking. I know how 

 hard it was to quit. Each and every time I did try to quit, I had 

 to do it a number of times before I was successful. So from my own 

 personal experience, and from people I've known and talked to, 

 your universal comment that cigarette smoking is not addictive 

 just doesn't ring true. 



Now, Mr. Johnston, I want to start with your testimony. You and 

 your colleagues seem to have almost a fanatical insistence your 

 products are the same as all these other products. This morning, 

 in your written statement and in your oral statement, you have 

 compared cigarettes to coffee, tea, sweets, sugar, warm milk, 

 cheese, chocolate, and Twinkles. That's quite a list. 



I'm struck by what I think is a calculated attempt to trivialize 

 the devastating health impacts of your product. You and I both 

 know that Twinkies don't kill a single American a year. They may 

 not add to a healthy diet, but they don't kill. The difference be- 

 tween cigarettes and Twinkies, and the other products you men- 

 tioned is death. I'm sure you are aware that the Surgeon General 

 and the American Medical Association estimate that cigarettes kill 

 over 400,000 smokers every year. Putting aside your assertion that 

 people accept this risk willingly, do you agree with this estimate? 



Mr. James Johnston. Do I agree with the estimate of why the 

 35,000 people? I've heard from this subcommittee this morning 

 three or four different numbers. My understanding of how that 

 number is 



Mr. Waxman. If you don't agree, with that number, then give us 

 your number. How many smokers die each year from smoking ciga- 

 rettes? 



Mr. James Johnston. I will explain. 



Mr. Waxman. No. I want you to answer. We have limited time. 



Mr. James Johnston. I do not know how many. 



Mr. Waxman. Do you disagree with the Surgeon General's esti- 

 mate? 



Mr. James Johnston. It is a computer generated number that 

 makes 



Mr. Waxman. Mr. Johnston, I'm going to have to ask you to re- 

 spond to my questions. Do you or do you not agree with the Sur- 

 geon General's estimate that over 400,000 smokers die 



Mr. James Johnston. I do not agree. 



Mr. Waxman. OK. Do you know how many smokers die each 

 year? 



Mr. James Johnston. I do not know. 



