839 



Mr. Wyden. But you're not real sure. 



Mr. TISCH. I'm not real aware. 



Mr. Wyden. Mr. Campbell, one of these task forces also con- 

 cluded that five cigarettes were less ignition-prone than other ciga- 

 rettes on the market. Yet, the tobacco industry argues that fire-safe 

 cigarettes are not feasible because they are too hard to draw on, 

 they don't taste good and they don't have good mouth feel. 



Mr. Campbell, I gather one of your brands, Virginia Slims, was 

 one that the task forces said were less ignition-prone. Are you say- 

 ing that your brand is too hard to smoke and doesn't taste good? 



Mr. Campbell. That particular brand is too hard to smoke and 

 doesn't taste very good, but that's not the issue at hand. We're 

 talking about people and loss of life in terms of fires. I must tell 

 you that this industry and certainly my company is absolutely 

 dedicated to trying to develop a fire-safe cigarette, if it's possible. 

 We have not been able to do so up until this time, but we are dili- 

 gently working on it and we'll continue to work on it. 



Those five cigarettes which you spoke about, in the real word, on 

 a real world test with real fabric, those results are reversed. So, 

 unfortunately, we're not there yet, but we're working very hard 

 with Chairman Moakley to develop a feasible test and from there 

 we'll try to move on to develop products that will improve the fire- 

 safe situation. 



Mr. Wyden. Mr. Campbell, I understand that your company is 

 currently the subject of a potential antitrust action by the Depart- 

 ment of Justice over your refusal to develop a fire-safe cigarette, 

 is that correct? 



Mr. Campbell. I don't know of that, sir. 



Mr. Wyden. My understanding is that that was the case. You're 

 not aware of that. You're not aware of whether the case — in fact, 

 let's just ask about it — involves a previously secret research plan 

 undertaken by Philip Morris called Project Hamlet. 



Mr. Campbell. I know of Project Hamlet. It's our fire-safe — it 

 was our fire-safe ignition propensity project of the 1980's. 



Mr. Wyden. Do you admit that through Project Hamlet, Philip 

 Morris developed the capability to ^nanufacture a fire-safe cigarette 

 that is acceptable to consumers and could have saved the lives of 

 hundreds of children? 



Mr. Campbell. Absolutely not, sir. We could not accept ourselves 

 if we had invented a fire-safe cigarette. We have not done so up 

 until this time. 



Mr. Wyden. Would you make Project Hamlet available to the 

 public? 



Mr. Campbell. Project Hamlet? 



Mr. Wyden. Yes. That's the research effort. That's what we're 

 talking about. 



Mr. Campbell. This is very, very, very competitive information. 

 We are trying very hard to develop a fire-safe cigarette. 



Mr. Wyden. Will you make any information available to either 

 this subcommittee or the public in a fashion that would protect this 

 gravely critical and private information? 



Mr. Campbell. I'm making the information public now. We have 

 not yet developed a fire-safe cigarette. 



