68 



A substantial collection of tobacco lines is available to plant ge- 

 neticists. These include 63 species related to tobacco and about 

 1,000 different tobacco varieties. The wealth of this term permits 

 genetic manipulation of leaf which could be used selectively to en- 

 hance or reduce the content of specific constituents. Among flue- 

 cure tobacco lines available at present, the nicotine concentrations 

 varies from two-tenths of 1 percent to 4.75 percent. 



Among various barrier lines, the concentration varies between 

 three-tenths of 1 percent to 4.58 percent. The ranges should be ex- 

 tended by agronomists should that be desired. Did you not read 

 this report written 13 years ago before making your statement here 

 today to suggest that B&W variety was some sinister genetic plant. 



Mr. Kessler. Mr. Bliley, not only have we gone through to 1981, 

 I have read an enormous number of papers on genetic breeding, I 

 cited papers that go back even earlier than the 1981 Surgeon Gen- 

 eral's report. I cited Dr. Chaplin's work in 1977. This cross of 6.2 

 percent is higher than any commercially viable — it was higher than 

 even Dr. Chaplin initially thought he could get. I asked when I 

 read this report, I asked in fact Dr. Koop who was Surgeon General 

 back in the early 1980's, what he thought about a high nicotine, 

 medium nicotine, low tar cigarette, and his answer to me was if in 

 fact companies developing a medium or high nicotine cigarette ^vith 

 low tar and are doing it by manipulation, that is, in his opinion, 

 a nicotine delivery system. Now, that was not in the 1981 Surgeon 

 General's report, but that's what Dr. Koop told me very recently. 



Mr. Bliley. You mentioned Dr. Chaplin. When he started devel- 

 opment of the strain of Y-1 tobacco, was he not an employee of the 

 Federal Government? 



Mr. Kessler. He was an employee of the Oxford Research Cen- 

 ter of USDA. And he also had an appointment in North Carolina 

 State University. 



Mr. Bliley. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Waxman. Thank you, Mr. Bliley. 



Mr. Synar. 



Mr. Synar. Dr. Kessler, again, thank you for this very important 

 testimony and with it, I think we may come to a close of this de- 

 bate with respect to whether or not tobacco companies do indeed 

 manipulate nicotine. Not to oversimplify, but to summarize what 

 we have learned today — manipulation really takes three forms — 

 one, planted breeding, second, chemical charging and third, 

 targeting levels of nicotine. 



What I am interested in is the motive behind this and I think 

 you may have given us that with chart 21, and if I could ask the 

 staff to put that up. I am particularly interested in the last sen- 

 tence, "It was also our purpose to compare these effects with those 

 of new drugs called tranquilizers which might supersede tobacco 

 habits in the near future." 



Does that sentence read to you as it does to me? Which is one, 

 it is an admission that nicotine in tobacco is indeed a drug and 

 that, second, the entire manipulation may have been because of 

 their fear of the competition of future tranquilizers? 



Mr. Kessler. It is a statement that certainly reflects the concern 

 about their market share versus tranquilizers. 



Mr. Synar. That's all I have, Mr. Chairman. 



