Tobacco CEO: Smoking May Have Killed Thousands

WEST PALM BEACH, Reuters [OL] The chief executive officer of Philip
Morris Cos. Inc. the world's biggest cigarette maker after China
said Thursday that 100,000 people a year may have died from smoking.

Testifying in a deposition in the state of Florida's
multibilliondollar suit against the tobacco industry, Philip Morris
CEO Geoffrey Bible also said that if it were proved that cigarettes
cause cancer, he would shut down the company's cigarette production,
at least temporarily.

A transcript of his comments, approved by all parties in the case, was
released to reporters.

Asked by Ron Motley. a lawyer representing Florida, if he thought
one person a year could die from cigarette smoking, Bible replied
``yes.''

Asked if he thought it was possible that 1,000 people a year could
die from cigarette smoking and whether it was possible that 100,000 a
year could, Bible answered ``might have.''

His lawyer, Peter Bleakley, initially said Bible had replied:
``Possibly.''

Lawyers for the state took Bible's 90minute deposition as part of
their lawsuit against the tobacco companies. The state is seeking
$12.3 billion in compensatory and punitive damages to cover the
public cost of treating smokingrelated illness.

Bible said later in the deposition that he did not agree that smoking
caused lung cancer.

Motley showed him a pack of Marlboro Light cigarettes made by Philip
Morris for sale in Australia. On the side was a governmentmandated
warning that ``Smoking causes lung cancer.''

Motley asked Bible: ``Does Philip Morris agree with the government of
Australia that smoking
causes lung cancer?''

``No,'' Bible said.

Motley also asked Bible whether he would close down Philip Morris'
cigarette manufacturing plants ``if it were established to your
satisfaction that cigarettes were a cause of lung cancer.''

Bible said he would need to ``speak with the government very quickly
to see if they would continue to consider the product a legal
product.''

Pressed further, Bible said, ``If you force me to say what I would
do, in those circumstances, I'd probably say sure, I'd shut it down
instantly to get a better hold on things.''

Philip Morris makes the world's bestselling cigarette, Marlboro,
which accounts for more than one of every three cigarettes sold in
the United States. Cigarettes produce the lion's share of Philip
Morris' earnings, with more than two thirds of its $12.54 billion in
1996 operating profits coming from tobacco.

Bible also said advertising is critical to developing new ranks of
young adult smokers.

He thus clashed with the position taken by James Morgan, chief
executive officer of the firm's U.S. cigarette business, that his
company didn't target young people.

Motley posed the advertising issue to Bible this way:

Q ``In markets where Marlboro's . . share of young adult smokers
has declined, share of starters (new smokers) was also down. Thus the
ability to attract new smokers and develop them into a young adult
franchise is a key to brand development?''

A ``No. I can be really frank about this. What this means is that
to the extent that people decide to start smoking, we want them to
smoke our brand. So our ability to have that new smoker choose our
brand versus a competitor's brand is what that's referring to ``

Q ``Well how do you get a nonsmoker to start smoking your brand? By
advertising?''

A ``Well, yes, advertising, sponsorship.'' REUTER@

[Copyright 1997, Reuters]