In 1994, seven big tobacco CEOs testified before Congress, claiming nicotine isn’t addictive — all under oath...
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00:00Do you believe nicotine is not addictive?
00:02Cigarettes and nicotine clearly do not meet the classic definitions of addiction.
00:07There is no intoxication.
00:09We'll take that as a no.
00:22If you raise your right hand, do you swear that the testimony you're about to give is the truth,
00:26the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
00:28I do.
00:29Please consider yourself to be under oath.
00:32Do you believe nicotine is not addictive?
00:34I believe nicotine is not addictive, yes.
00:37Mr. Johnston.
00:38Congressman, cigarettes and nicotine clearly do not meet the classic definitions of addiction.
00:46There is no intoxication.
00:47We'll take that as a no.
00:48And, again, time is short.
00:50If you could just...
00:51I think each of you believe nicotine is not addictive.
00:53We just would like to have this for the record.
00:56I don't believe that nicotine or our products are addictive.
00:59All right.
01:00I believe nicotine is not addictive.
01:08I believe that nicotine is not addictive.
01:11And I, too, believe that nicotine is not addictive.
01:14Since June 20, 1997, more than half a million people have died of tobacco-related illnesses,
01:31and one and a half million children have become addicted to tobacco.
02:01The world is facing a crisis of tobacco-related deaths.
02:04The world is facing a crisis of tobacco-related deaths.
02:06The World is Facing Tobacco-Related Deaths
02:08The World is Facing Tobacco-Related Deaths