ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 22, 1996 TAG: 9603220049
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Accusations that Philip Morris Cos. Inc. spiked cigarettes with high levels of nicotine have sparked the head of the company to send employees a reassuring letter rebutting the charges.
In a two-page memo to 151,000 employees, Philip Morris Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey C. Bible echoed other top company officials who have said the allegations made this week are nothing new.
``We've been through this before and we'll go through this again,'' Bible wrote.
Bible was responding to affidavits released Monday by the Food and Drug Administration in which three former research and production employees from Philip Morris' Richmond operations alleged the company systematically adjusts and tests nicotine levels to keep smokers hooked.
The new disclosures prompted the FDA to reopen a public comment period for 30 days on its proposal to regulate nicotine as a drug.
``We do not `manipulate' nicotine levels in our cigarettes,'' Bible wrote.
Of the affidavits, Bible wrote, ``Much of what is contained in them is not new and, in fact, a great deal of it has been in the public literature for years.''
Bible's comments in the memo were similar to those he made Monday to a group of about 100 Wall Street analysts in New York, said Allan Kaplan, an analyst at Merrill Lynch.
Bible probably wrote the letter in part because Philip Morris believes it has not had its say in many press accounts, Kaplan said.
``I think he felt incumbent on himself to get something out,'' Kaplan said.
Philip Morris also is responding to the accusations in advertisements running today in major U.S. newspapers. The ad says in bold letters, ``What does Philip Morris have to say about the allegation of `nicotine manipulation?' ... Plenty.'' It goes on to invite customers to call the company or look at the World Wide Web for information on the cigarette manufacturing process.
LENGTH: Short : 46 linesby CNB