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**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT:**

Monday, March 3, 2008 Lautenberg Press Office 202.224.3224

Snowe Press Office 202.224.1304

**LAUTENBERG, SNOWE INTRODUCE BILL**

**TO PROHIBIT FALSE AND DECEPTIVE**

**CIGARETTE LABELING, MARKETING**

*Bill aimed at so-called "light" and "low-tar" cigarettes*

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sens. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Olympia J.
Snowe (R-ME) today introduced legislation to prohibit tobacco companies
from using a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cigarette testing method to
market their cigarettes as "light" or "low-tar."

"**Tobacco companies need to be honest with smokers about tar and
nicotine exposure. It is clear tobacco companies have been gaming the
FTC cigarette testing method to deceive smokers for years. Our bill
would make sure tobacco companies can no longer use this system to
falsely market cigarettes,"** said Sen. Lautenberg.

Sen. Snowe said, **"Over the years, smokers trying desperately to quit
have been drawn to products labeled by tobacco companies as 'low tar'
and 'low nicotine' as a safer alternative when in fact studies have
proven that this isn't the case. This legislation ends the pretense that
smoking certain types of cigarettes reduces risk.  There is no safe
cigarette."**

In November, Sen. Lautenberg chaired a Senate Commerce Committee hearing
to examine the accuracy of the FTC cigarette testing system, and the
marketing claims of tobacco companies based on this system. The New
Jersey Senator uncovered a lengthy history of false and deceptive
cigarette ratings and marketing methods used by the tobacco industry
based on this inaccurate system. Altria (Philip Morris) and R.J.
Reynolds were called to the November hearing but refused to attend.

At the hearing, the FTC raised concerns about its testing methods and
admitted that its ratings tend to be relatively poor predictors of tar
and nicotine exposure, noting how machine-measured tar and nicotine
ratings are not an accurate reflection of tar and nicotine intake. A
document released at the hearing showed that the tobacco industry had
knowledge of the inaccuracy of the ratings since the 1970s.

The FTC cigarette testing method uses a smoking machine \-- a "smoking
robot\" \-- that smokes every cigarette exactly the same way to
determine the amount of tar and nicotine in each brand of cigarettes.
According to this method, some cigarettes can appear to deliver lower
tar and nicotine than regular cigarettes. These cigarettes are usually
described as "light" and "low-tar" by the tobacco industry.

However, when smoked by actual smokers, light and low-tar cigarettes
often cause the smoker to receive more tar and nicotine than regular
cigarettes. This is because light cigarette smokers take longer, deeper
puffs and smoke more cigarettes a day to compensate for the lower
nicotine in these cigarettes. Many smokers switch to cigarette brands
advertised as "low tar" or "light" out of concerns for their health,
believing them to be less risky or a step toward quitting.

As early as 1975, the tobacco industry knew that "light" cigarettes did
not actually deliver less tar and nicotine to smokers despite the lower
ratings from the FTC Cigarette Testing Method. Despite knowing this, the
tobacco industry continues to market these cigarettes as healthier and
safer than regular cigarettes.

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