503 



tfifkl^ /S 



R J R«ynoids Tobacco Company 



January 11, 1990 



Principal 



Willow Ridge School 

 480 Willow Ridge Drive 

 Xjivherst, NY 14150 



Dear Sir or Madan: 



, "• J ■'■ 



A nuTTvber of your fifth grade students have written R.J. Reynolds 

 Tobacco Company commenting that '■hey do not feel our company 

 should allow the use of our brand naoes on children's toys and 

 candy cigarettes. 



As information, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's policy is not to 

 allow our brand names to be used on toys or candy cigarettes and 

 any current use of our brand names in this fashion is not sanc- 

 tioned by our company. 



Some of the students also commented about the controversies 

 surrounding cigarette sBioKing. The tobacco industry considers 

 smoking to be a custom for those adults who derive pleasure froa 

 it. We believe that whether to snoke or not is a decision that 

 should be freely aade by individuals who have reached the age of 

 mature judgment. Accordingly, our advertising is directed to 

 adult smokers and not younger people. 



The tobacco industry is also concerned about tie charges being 



\ made that smoking is responsible for so nany serious diseases. 



I Long before the present criticism began, the tobacco industry, in 



I a sincere attempt to determine what harmful effects, if any, 



\ smoking might have on human health, established The Council for 



1 Tobacco Research--USA. The industry has also supported research 



\ grants directed by the American Medical Association. Over the 



1 years the tobacco industry has given in excess of $162 million to 



1 independent research on the controversies surrounding smoking -• 



I more than all the voluntary health associations combined. 



I Despite all the research going on, the simple and unfortunate 

 I fact is that scientists do not know the cause or causes of the 

 I chronic diseases reported to be associated vith smoking. The 



