Evening star., 1951-06-29
FTC Calls for Halt
On Cigarette Claim
OF Easy on Throat

Ut Edsy on throat
The Federal Trade Commission
today struck hard at the advertis-
ing claims of Lucky Strike Gig
arettes and ordered the American
Tobacco Co. to cease and desist'
from claims that its cigarettes are
easy on the throat"
Smoke from all the leading
brands of cigarettes is irritating
to the mucous membrane of the
respiratory tract" the commits
sion ruled. It added that 1.-The
differences In the chemical con-
stituents of different brands of
cigarettes. as shown by reports of
tests, are so slight that the smoke
from one brand of cigarettes is
no less irritating than the smoke
from other brands"
The commission also ordered
Lucky Strike to stop advertising
that independent tobacco experts
prefer Luckies 2 to / over all other
brands"
In New York, the American
Tobacco Co. insisted that Luckies
contain less nicotine. 1t added in
q statement:
THE effect of the present order
would be that no longer, though a
fact is established, could the pub
lie be allowed to judge its sig
nificance."
The company said it sis consid-
ering an appeal"
Survey Of Experts" Cited.
A survey of 2,2l0 persons classi-
fed by the American Tobacco Co.
as independent tobacco experts"
produced interesting results, the
commission reported.
"A number of persons classified
by the respondent as independent
tobacco experts had no connection
whatsoever with the tobacco buSi-
ness" the commission said.
"Of 440 of the 1,184 persons
claimed by the respondent to be
exclusive smokers of Lucky Strike
cigarettes. approximately so did
not smoke cigarettes at all. More
than 100 of the 440 witnesses i.
did not smoke Lucky Strike ciga-
retteS exclusively, and a number
of them :. smoked other brands
exclusively.
"A number of such witnesses
could not recall ever having been
interviewed by a representative of
the respondent.
"A number of the independent
tobacco experts claimed by the
respondent to be exclusive smokers
of Lucky Strike cigarettes were the
recipients of free cigarettes or
sums of money from the respond
ent."
Parallel to Recent Cases.
The findings in the Lucky Strike
case concerning the nicotine con-
tent and throat irritating proper
ties of cigarettes parallel those
made recently in cases involving
the advertising of Camel and Old
Gold cigarettes. Cases involving
advertising of Philip Morris and
Pail Mall cigarettes are pending.
In discussing the acid and nico-
tine content of cigarettes, the COM
mission said.
Scientific evidence in the rec
ord establishes that there is no
significant difference in the acid
in the tobacco used in the manu-
facture of popular brands of
cigarettes or in the smoke there
from. In addition to the testi-I
mony of experts that there is no
particular or significant differ
ence in the acidity of the popular
brands of cigarettes and that
there would be no difference in
the effect of the acidity on the
persons smoking any of the popu-
lar brands of cigarettes, the rec
ord contains reports of actual
tests of the acidity of smoke from
samples of different leading
brands of cigarettes, which re-
ports show that the smoke from
the Lucky Strike cigarettes in
volved in the tests was not less
acid than the smoke from other
leading brands of cigarettes in
volVed in the tests,
While there is some disagree
ment among the experts as
to the irritating potency of the
various constituents of the smoke
from cigarettes, it is established
that the chief chemical conStitu-
entS in cigarette smoke are the
volatile bases, including nicotine
ana ammonia together with
wsxy substances. all of which are
grouped together under the gen.
eral term 'tarsx and resins.
Testimony of medical wit
nesses, as well as reports of tests
and experiments conducted by
chemists. establishes that there
is no significant difference in
either the tars and resins or the
nicotine in the smoke from all
the leading brands of cigarettes.
The testimony of medical experts
also establishes that the smoke
from all the leading brands is ir-
ritating to the mucous membrane
of the respiratory tract and that
the differences in the chemical
constituents of different brands of
cigarettes, as shown by reports
of tests, are SO slight that the
smoke from one brand of Gig
arettes is no less irritating than
Is the smoke from other brands.
1.-The smoke from Lucky Strike
cigarettes is not easy on ones
throat and the smoking of Lucky
Strike cigarettes will not afford
one protection against throat ir-
ritation or against coughing"
Nicotine Contents Alike.
With particular reference to