Special Report
What a Drag
The government's war on tobacco lights up again.
(Page 2 of 2)
Few expect the tobacco companies will have to pony up the $280 billion, but the threat of “injunctive relief” by the court could arguably be deadly. The restrictions the tobacco companies have already submitted to with the MSA do not go far enough for the feds.
The Justice Department wants a court-imposed ban on cigarette vending machines. It wants marketing terms that give smokers “false impressions” about the dangers of smoking (e.g., “low tar,” “light”) eliminated. It wants more funds available to help people quit smoking, over and above the millions the tobacco industry has already committed.
And there will likely be more. The government isn’t willing to specify when enough will finally be enough. “It’s hard to talk rationally about a case I don’t think was given a lot of rational thought,” Philip Morris lawyer William Ohlemeyer sighed during a recent briefing on developments in the case, which goes to trial this September.
About the Author
Shawn Macomber is a contributing editor to The American Spectator.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (1) | Leave a comment
Related Articles
More Articles by Shawn Macomber
More Articles From Special Report
http://spectator.org/archives/2004/03/24/what-a-drag
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
Current Issue
- The Thatcher Legacy
- Overheated Frauds and Fools
- The Lehrman Standard
The Spectacle Blog
Democrat Dan Maffei Blames Budget Cuts for Girl’s Rape, Mother’s Murder
Robert Stacy McCain | 6.18.13
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
Cigs | 10.18.11 @ 10:00AM
FDA approval will help Altria market new products that are less dangerous to the health. Altria recently acquired U.S. Smokeless Tobacco; is testing "snus," a new line of "spit-free" smokeless tobacco products; and recently opened a $350 million research facility in Richmond to develop products that pose lower health risks.