#TBT: The Tobacco Industry is Grilled Before Congress

In 1994, seven big tobacco CEOs testified before Congress, claiming nicotine isn’t addictive — all under oath...

Transcript

00:00Do you believe nicotine is not addictive?

00:02Cigarettes and nicotine clearly do not meet the classic definitions of addiction.

00:07There is no intoxication.

00:09We'll take that as a no.

00:22If you raise your right hand, do you swear that the testimony you're about to give is the truth,

00:26the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

00:28I do.

00:29Please consider yourself to be under oath.

00:32Do you believe nicotine is not addictive?

00:34I believe nicotine is not addictive, yes.

00:37Mr. Johnston.

00:38Congressman, cigarettes and nicotine clearly do not meet the classic definitions of addiction.

00:46There is no intoxication.

00:47We'll take that as a no.

00:48And, again, time is short.

00:50If you could just...

00:51I think each of you believe nicotine is not addictive.

00:53We just would like to have this for the record.

00:56I don't believe that nicotine or our products are addictive.

00:59All right.

01:00I believe nicotine is not addictive.

01:08I believe that nicotine is not addictive.

01:11And I, too, believe that nicotine is not addictive.

01:14Since June 20, 1997, more than half a million people have died of tobacco-related illnesses,

01:31and one and a half million children have become addicted to tobacco.

02:01The world is facing a crisis of tobacco-related deaths.

02:04The world is facing a crisis of tobacco-related deaths.

02:06The World is Facing Tobacco-Related Deaths

02:08The World is Facing Tobacco-Related Deaths