Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 5, 1995 TAG: 9506050017
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANN DONAHUE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
As a result of Philip Morris' cigarette recall, the business at Treasure's in Roanoke's Valley View Mall has almost been snuffed out.
Three-fourths of the stock at Treasure's has been taken off the shelves. It won't be replaced until Fleishman, the owner, gets a visit from a Philip Morris representative who will replenish his stock with uncontaminated cigarettes.
Last week, Philip Morris recalled more than 8 billion cigarettes.
Treasure's stock is predominantly those brands recalled by Philip Morris: Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Benson & Hedges and Merit. Marlboro is the best-selling cigarette brand in the world.
"I'm out of everything that can replace a Philip Morris," Fleishman said. "We're out of all our other brands that we're not usually out of."
Philip Morris recalled the cigarettes because of filters contaminated with methyl isothiocyanate, a chemical that may cause eye, nose and throat irritation and dizziness.
Fleishman said he used to smoke Marlboro Lights, but for now has changed to cigarettes made by Philip Morris rival RJR Nabisco because of the recall.
Philip Morris representatives are visiting larger retailers first to replenish their stock.
Big stores like Kroger and Revco will be resupplied first, leaving smaller independent stores to wait for Philip Morris to pay them a visit.
Philip Morris spokewoman Karen Daragan said the company picked up about 75 percent of the products in the first week of the recall. She said independent stores should be visited in the next couple of days.
Kroger's local public relations manager, Archie Fralin, said Philip Morris was scheduled to visit all their stores in the mid-Atlantic region by noon Friday.
"We now have fresh, saleable product in all our stores," he said.
Fralin said cigarette sales were down about 20 percent in the first four days of the recall.
Evelyn McDaniel, manager of Wilco Food Mart at 1000 Electric Road in Salem, said Thursday that she had not seen a Philip Morris representative. She has yanked the affected brands off the shelves.
"I can't afford to be sued," she said.
Brian Fleming, a merchandiser at Revco at 616 19th St. N.W., said the store pulled about three boxes of cigarettes and sent them back to the distributors. "It's a very low-key thing," he said. "Marlboro wasn't our big brand anyway."
Philip Morris is allowing cigarettes to be returned for a refund to any store that sells their brands. In the Roanoke area, it seems that few have taken them up on the offer.
Don Roy, owner of Milan Brothers in downtown Roanoke, said he had one person last week return a pack of cigarettes. He exchanged the pack for the man, who had bought it at another store that refused to let him return it.
McDaniel said only a few people have returned packs to Wilco for exchanges or refunds. Fleishman said no one has brought cigarettes back to Treasure's.
DiAnn Roberts has smoked for 35 years. She quit for three months once, but she started again.
Although she doesn't smoke Philip Morris cigarettes, she has advice for those who do.
"I wouldn't tell them to switch," Roberts said. "I'd tell them to quit.
"It's a crutch. It's a nervous crutch."
George Christenbury was escaping the rain and puffing on a Marlboro as he stood under the overhang in front of Jeffrey H. Krasnow & Associates law office in downtown Roanoke. He said his cigarette was one of the contaminated ones.
Christenbury said he did think about the contamination, but it didn't influence his smoking habits too much.
"I'm realistic about it," he said. "After inhaling these things for 20 years, how much more damage can I do?''
by CNB