806 



Mr. Synar. You're familiar, also, Mr. Johnston, with the Synar 

 amendment which would require States to enact and enforce bans 

 on cigarette sales to minors, are you not? 



Mr. James Johnston. Mr. Congressman, there are so many 

 pieces of legislation affecting the industry 



Mr. Synar. Mr. Johnston, I'm not new to this subject. You're fa- 

 miliar with my legislative career in this area, are you not? 



Mr. James Johnston. I am, indeed. 



Mr. Synar. OK. You're familiar with the legislation that would 

 enforce the ban of cigarette sales to minors, yes or no? Mr. Camp- 

 bell, are you familiar with it? 



Mr. Campbell. I, like Mr. Johnson, am only generally familiar 

 and not specifically familiar. 



Mr. Synar. Let's be real here, folks. You're the CEO's of major 

 companies. This legislation, which passed last year, has a major 

 impact on the distribution of your product to minors, and you're 

 telling me as you sit there that you're only vaguely familiar with 

 the legislation. 



Let me ask you this. You said earlier today that the tobacco in- 

 dustry has been doing everything possible at the State legislative 

 level to push for these kinds of minor bans from smoking. In order 

 to make sure these laws are effective, why don't you all commit 

 today to me to financing the State funding of sting operations of 

 retail units? Will you commit to that today, Mr. Johnston, at this 

 end? 



The question is since you all are so committed to keeping ciga- 

 rettes out of the hands of minors, will you commit to this sub- 

 committee that you will help finance sting operations within States 

 to try to catch minors who may be doing it? Will you help provide 

 the money for sting operations on the State level by which to en- 

 force the law? 



Mr. Donald Johnston. I'm not sure that additional financing is 

 required, other than the revenues that are already generated 

 from 



Mr. Synar. I'll take that as a no. Mr. Sandefur? 



Mr. Sandefur. No. 



Mr. Synar. Mr. Horrigan? 



Mr. Horrigan. I don't see that's our role. 



Mr. Synar. Thank you. Mr. Tisch? 



Mr. TisCH. No, sir. 



Mr. Synar. Mr. Taddeo? 



Mr. Taddeo. I don't think that's our role. 



Mr. Synar. Mr. Johnston? 



Mr. James Johnston. I have outlined our programs this morn- 

 ing. Smokers pay $13 billion a year in excise taxes and some 



Mr. Synar. Mr. Johnston, will you provide money for sting oper- 

 ations within the State? 



Mr. James Johnston [continuing]. Portion of that is 



Mr. Synar. Yes or no? 



Mr. James Johnston. No. 



Mr. Synar. OK. Mr. Campbell? 



Mr. Campbell. No. 



Mr. Synar. A disingenuous commitment, I would say. From 

 1972, Mr. Johnston, there's a memo to the Tobacco Institute Presi- 



