Hartmann: Does big tobacco have the RIGHT to lie?

[1mikeharr1]

Is Big Tobacco FRIEND or FOE?

The 46 Million USA Smokers (2012) can engage in self destruction, but what about SecondHand Smoke Victims -say, in Apartments near a Smoker's?

SHD in Apartments we now know contaminates the air others breathe, causing health hazards!

Non-Smokers, make the USA Multi-Housing Smoke Free -NOW!.

[DaveBassDotCom]

To the last guy - stinkyhat - you are confusing issues! This is not a question of whether the govt is interfering with "personal choice" - this is a question of the all important step BEFORE personal choice - correct information - and the government CERTAINLY does have the right to regulate truth in advertising. If you want to live in a nation that is NOT under the vision of Jefferson, Franklin, etc - move to Communist China.  And keep smoking, idiot. We need one LESS of you. : )

[stinkyhat14]

America is a free country so if you want to smoke you smoke its the persons choice and the government should not be involved in any way

[chrishasaclue]

@stinkyhat14 Hahaha, oh why stop there. Why don't we blow our heads off with a 12 Gauge shotgun, actually why don't we blow somebody else's head off. Afterall it is a free country and the government should not be involved in our choices like you said right??? Dude your an Idiot. Go take a walk!

[stinkyhat14]

@chrishasaclue you just need to move to a communist or socialist country since you want government to make all the decisions for you

[TechnomancerMorhion]

"I believe nicotine isn't addictive."

Belief doesn't dictate reality.

[BuzzardlyThings]

Corporations are not people. Point blank. It is the fact that international corporations are ruling the world. All for them and none for real people. Real people may be a CEO or a janitor, but not the "inc."

[voyeurdug]

Boo hiss. Propaganda. 

[GalaktikNinjA]

Bill Clinton got impeached? LOL

[ghiisga]

Funniest ridiculous line: "Let's let ACTUAL people decide what products are safe - and not Big Tobacco CEOs." LOL...Thom actually believes Big Tobacco CEOs aren't even people?

[ddnguyen278]

When you get as big as big tobacco you can do what you want. Shoot tobacco help found America, it was and still is one of Americas largest cash crop. So what a few million Americans die every year from debilitating cancer.. and the cost of taking care of them in their death spiral is astronomical.. Americans are just not that smart. Once you come to that conclusion, you can see why Americans are the way they are..

[BuzzardlyThings]

@ddnguyen278 Slavery helped to found America too.

[iriswaters]

Tobacco dealers should be compared to the idea of post-legality corporations selling, and lying to advertise and build sales numbers, drugs like crack, heroine and meth. Prohibition doesn't work, but advertising needs limits, and the government should be able to regulate.

[iriswaters]

I'm very opposed to any law that -bans- use of dangerous addictive drugs like nicotine(and other drugs for that matter), but I also think that corporations marketing and selling such drugs represents a 'perverse incentive'.  And paid commercial speech, along with paid political speech, should be considered a special class of speech, subject to it's own set of laws.

[BuzzardlyThings]

@iriswaters I also think "news" should be held to a rigorous standard to balance "free speech" with "lies". Think Fox.

[capucchan8]

Thom you need to ask that question to Sen Kirsten Gillibrand, before going into politics she was defending tobacco companies from lawsuits

[mystikatempe]

I wonder how many of those CEOs smoke and have tried to quit. They would see how addictive it really is

[retsaoter]

That's because they weren't lying. The question was a softball opinion, surely they do "believe" that nicotine is not addictive. Now if I were a corporate lawyer I would not be invoking the first amendment, but the fifth. It actually should be within their fifth amendment right as manufactured people to not promote anti-tobacco on their product.

[usaintltrade]

The art of war on Hispanic people

[FireItUp13]

there is already a warning on the pack that says the product may cause lung cancer. people have the choice to smoke or not to smoke.