These companies are owned directly or indirectly by the cigarette corporations: i.e. R.J.Reynolds, Liggett-Meyers

(Recently, in 1999, in an effort to distance themselves from their more poisonous products, the cigarette corporations have "restructured," centering the management of this part of their corpocracy in Japan. This is appropriate, since now that consciousness about cigarettes is growing in this country, they are turning to Asia, where because of marketing and product placement, they have millions of new addicts to exploit. This kind of "Vertical Network" is common now in the corporate world-government, as a way for the corporations to continue to accumulate power while appearing to be less omnipotent.)

STARBUCKS COFFEE

Nabisco

Kraft Foods

Miller and Molson Beer

General Foods

Fig Newtons

Oreo Cookies

Chips Ahoy

Wheat Thins

Vanilla Wafers

Ritz Crackers

Cream Of Wheat

Planter's Peanuts

Milk Bone

Grey Poupon

Stella D'Oro

Lifesavers

Bubble Yum

Carefree Gum

Parkay Margarine

Blue Bonnet

Fleischman's

Del Monte

Royal Gelatin

Nutter Butter Cookies

(from: 1994 Directory of Corporate Affiliations, V.3, U.S. Public Companies, "Who Owns Whom", National Register Publishing, New Providence, New Jersey)

When You buy these products, you are indirectly supporting the cigarette corporations. Granted, you are also helping to pay the wages of the tens of thousands of people employed by these corporations, but remember that cigarettes, their main product, are viciously addictive and kill 420.000 people every year in this county alone from cigarette caused cancers and other side effects.

And, the cigarette corporations are at the vanguard of "The Drug War".

Cigarettes are not just pure tobacco, either. There are almost 4000 chemical additives put into them to make them burn evenly, to effect the taste, etc. It was revealed definitively on Oct 19. 1995 that compounds of ammonia are included with cigarette tobacco to free up more nicotine molecules.

The tobacco companies also aggressively market their products in other countries, in asia they leave free packs of cigarettes in video game parlors frequented by kids. In Singapore and Korea, people have vigorously resisted the incursions of U.S. Cigarette companies, but the U.S. Government, under pressure from the cigarette industry, has threatened trade sanctions against these countries, unless they allow American companies to market there. This wrangling is an ongoing thing, and demonstrates the power of the cigarette corporate.

Isn't it also interesting that nicotine patches come under the jusrisdiction of the FDA and as such must undergo rigorous testing, when all they do is deliver nicotine- the same thing cigarettes do? Curious too, that in grocery stores cigarettes are displayed at child's eye level with gum, candy and breath mints- encouraging little people to equate smoking with chewing gum, so when they're old enough, they can act grown up and pose with the ultimate prop- the elegant, deadly cigarette...

People think they are being rebellious by smoking cigarettes, when actually they are surrendering totally to the corporate establishment.

Statistics show that the age group most apt to take up smoking are 13 to 20 year olds. At that age you rule the world, and are sure you can quit later... But quitting smoking is harder than quitting heroin, some have said.

Cigarettes are the real 'gateway drug.'

Here's a long, scary list of chemicals in cigarettes.

See where Joe Camel really hangs out Here..

The Cigarette trade is not the first example of corporate exploitation of addiction.

ADDICTION and SLAVERY

Tobacco was the United States' first export product. Sir Walter Raleigh made the first expedition to Virginia in 1584, and the Virginia Colony was first established in 1606, becoming quickly prosperous by selling tobacco to England. Tobacco had been unknown in the world, outside of it's native habitat on the U.S. east coast. By 1620, the [Dutch] tobacco plantations were bringing in shiploads of Black slaves from Africa, starting another bad trend. As the original moneymaking entity in the United States, the cigarette corporate is also the most entrenched, and one of the most powerful. The money from every cigararette smoked adds to their immense wealth and influence. Since it is in their interest to control what drugs are consumed, we have the "War on [some] Drugs."

Back To Factoids

(by the way- I personally think people should be free to smoke whatever they want. What I object to is the Corporate Behemoths and their socially irresponsible bad citizenship: Their Rape of our Society.)

Smoking is so Glamorous

Chemicals in Cigarettes

Secondhand Smoke

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