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R .J.AeynolQs Tobacco Compan11 ~ ~E . ~7~~t, ~.. l ~; . ;, -~ ir ~ ~ ~&M

January 11, 1990

PrincipalWillow Ridge 8chool480 Willow Ridge DriveAmherst, NY 14150Dear Sir or Madam :A number of your fifth grado -utudsnts have written R.J. ~teynoldsTobacco Company aommentinq that they do not feM our companyshould allow the use of our brand names on children's toys andcandy cigarettes .As information, R.J. Reynolds Tobkcco Company's policy is not toallow our brand names to be used on toys or candy cigarettes andany current use of our brand :names in this fashion is not sanc-tioned by our company .Some of the students also commtnted about the controversiessurrounding cigarette smoking The tobacco industry considerssmoking to be a custom for tbo*e adults who derive pleasure fro mit. We believe that whether. to smoke or not is a decision thatshould be freely made by individualswho have reached the age ofm ature judgment. Accordingly, our advertising is directedtoadult smokers and not younger people .The tobacco industry is also oonoerned about the charges beingmade that smoking is responsible for so many serious diseases .Lonq before the present oritioista began, the tobacoo industry, ina sinoere attempt to determine what harmful effects, if any,smoking might have on human health, established The Council forTobaced Research--USA . The industXy has also support ed researchgrants directedby the American Medical Association . Over theyears the tobacco industry has given in excess of $162 million toindependent research on the controversies surrounding smoking --more than all the voluntary health associations combined .Despite all the research going on, the simple and unfortunatefact is that scientists do not know the cause or causes of thechronic diseases reported to be associated with smoking . The L nm0 0

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h.A "Or lopaaov U=AWOISV6aeb111, Nia 5710;

Principal

Page Two

January li, 1900

answers to the ma nswar*Q .oop~roversies surrounding smoking --and the !un ta causes oi :tti ~ s.asas oit~.n stat isticallyae~socia with smokinq -- we b~al e an only be datsrminedthro much more scient ific xeaarch . Our company intends,

the .tore, to continue to support'suoh rasaafh in a continuing

soakoh for answ .rs .

We woul~praa~~t. _ y _ o _ _ r _ ~ a s s # ~ t q - t ~ i s - - i ~ r t o r m s t i o n a l o n g t o y o u rstudents ,'Y ou may also be irit .rast .d in the enclosed

tobaoco industry on the issue .of youth smokinq .

Sinc.rely,

9 ~ . 4J 1 0 a j ~ k

(Mrs .) Jo F . Spach

Manager, Public zntormation

Public Rslations Department

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Enclosures

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