Frank Lautenberg: “the letter simply asks the Chairman of the FTC to revisit this case, because we believe that R.J. Reynolds is…”

“the letter simply asks the Chairman of the FTC to revisit this case, because we believe that R.J. Reynolds is intentionally advertising a product to children which is illegal to sell to them. In 1994, the FTC voted 3 to 2 against bringing such a case against R.J. Reynolds. At that time, the Commission cited a lack of evidence. But since then, dramatic new evidence, new material has become public. Last year, 67 Members of the House wrote a letter asking the FTC to reopen the investigation. The FTC staff has recommended that the Chairman do just that, and he will be making a decision over the coming weeks. Mr. President, Joe Camel is a prime example of advertising that ought to be stopped. If Joe Camel were real and smoked as much as he does in his ads, he would be a dead camel. He would have bit the dust from emphysema, lung cancer, and heart disease. The R.J. Reynolds company promotes the line of cigarettes with a cartoon character that is named 'Joe Camel.' This character is seen in the advertisements promoting a 'cool' and 'smooth' image. He is often seen holding a cigarette out to the viewer of the ad. A picture I noticed most recently is he is in a beach chair someplace where the sand is nice and white and fresh, and he is sitting there. Why would a tobacco company use a cartoon character to market its product? It does not seem like a cartoon is the best way to appeal to adult smokers. R.J. Reynolds claims it is marketing to adults with Joe Camel.”