| As the Anti-Smoking Lobby continues to intensify its insatiable agenda for a cigarette-free world, tobacco share prices on Wall Street keep on rising. It is November 1998, and negotiators for tobacco companies and eight states have just announced a massive anti-smoking settlement initiative that could cost the industry $206 billion over 25 years. "It’s a great day for attorneys general," says Christine Gregoire, attorney general for the state of Washington and the leader of the state negotiators. "Joe Camel and his ilk are in intensive care and will be gone by April." That same week, studies are released showing no significant decrease in the number of cigarette smokers in America. "Our policies are working," insists Gregoire. On the outside, it sure seems like the Anti-Smoking Lobby is winning. In exchange for payments over 25 years, the states are dropping suits that posed an enormous legal and financial threat to the tobacco industry. In addition to paying the states, the tobacco companies will spend $1.7 billion to study youth smoking, finance antismoking advertising, and accept curbs on marketing practices. The Anti-Smoking Lobby wanted even more; their initial drive was for a Federal bill that would have cost the tobacco industry $516 billion in total. And they have made a promise to continue until cigarettes are a thing of the past. |