A new report, after examining thousands of documents, says that tobacco companies went to great lengths to increase smoking among women.
Here’s the story from the AP. You’ll have to see it to believe it.
But here’s a choice nugget:
One of the documents, a 1987 internal report from Philip Morris, extolled the virtues of making a longer, slimmer cigarette that offered the false promise of a “healthier” product.
“Most smokers have little notion of their brand’s tar and nicotine levels,” the report states. “Perception is more important than reality, and in this case the perception is of reduced tobacco consumption.”
And another one:
“…a 1982 report from British-American Tobacco Co. that said women buy cigarettes to help them “cope with neuroticism.”
“We can safely conclude that the strength of cigarettes that are purchased by women is related to their degree of neuroticism,” the report stated.
I suppose none of this should really shock me, but seeing it in print still has an impact.
