THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, October 4, 1996               TAG: 9610030015
SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A16  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                            LENGTH:   24 lines

SMOKING OUT THE POLITICIANS

A recent article referring to the huge amount of money contributed by the tobacco industry to political hopefuls was timely.

As the FDA attempts to protect our children from the well-documented health dangers of tobacco and its primary drug nicotine, the tobacco industry appears to be running scared. They know only too well the facts:

4.5 million American children and adolescents smoke, another million use spit tobacco.

Each year another million young people join the ranks of regular smokers.

The average teen begins to smoke at 14.5 years of age.

And, most significantly, nearly one in three of these young Americans will have their lives shortened from the terrible diseases caused by tobacco use.

It is no wonder the tobacco industry needs the best politicians their money can buy.

KURT BAGLEY

Chesapeake, Sept. 25, 1996 by CNB