REGULATION OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS 



THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1994 



House of Representatives, 

 Committee on Energy and Commerce, 

 Subcommittee on Health and the Environment, 



Washington, DC. 



The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:06 a.m., in room 

 2123, Raybum House Office Building, Hon. Henry A. Waxman 

 (chairman) presiding. 



Mr. Waxman. The meeting of the subcommittee will come to 

 order. 



Our hearing today is with Mr. Sandefur, who is the chief execu- 

 tive officer of Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company. Mr. 

 Sandefur, I want to welcome you to this hearing and I appreciate 

 your willingness to testify as well as your cooperation in submitting 

 many of the documents the subcommittee has requested from you. 



This hearing will provide you with an important opportunity to 

 explain Brown & Williamson's position on the many tobacco issues 

 that are before this subcommittee. I am very interested in your 

 perspective and hope you will be as specific and detailed as possible 

 in answering questions this morning. 



Full and open disclosure is especially important because the in- 

 formation you and others in the industry provide is essential as we 

 develop legislation, especially when we look at the impact of smok- 

 ing and kids. 



Three thousand children started smoking yesterday, 3,000 chil- 

 dren will start smoking today, and another 3,000 tomorrow and the 

 day after. In all, over a million kids will take the first step to ad- 

 diction this year. The sad fact is that tobacco is winning the battle 

 against common sense with many of our kids. 



Congress, the tobacco industry, and the public have to face this 

 reality. And the only way this subcommittee can craft effective poli- 

 cies that will reduce the number of kids smoking is to know as 

 much as possible about your industry and how to make the best 

 policy with that knowledge. 



The knowledge we gain in this and other hearings about health 

 impacts, addiction, advertising, and other issues is invaluable to 

 our work. And I hope you will join us in this effort. 



I look forward to listening to your testimony and I want to thank 

 you for being with us. But before I call upon you, it is the tradition 

 of the subcommittee to recognize members for opening statements, 

 and I want to call on Mr. Bliley first. 



Mr. Bliley. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



(131) 



