Lorillard Launches Strong Defense of Menthol

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter 04/01/2010

With the first meeting of the US Food and Drug Administration's Tobacco Product Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) under way, Lorillard has been making its case for menthol cigarettes, the main focus of the meeting. Martin Orlowsky, chairman, president and CEO of Lorillard, writing in the Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal, said that menthol cigarettes were clearly not associated with higher youth smoking rates, one of the arguments put forward for a ban that was brought in last year on other "characterizing" cigarette flavors. His report can be read at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304739104575153933847767688.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines At the same time, in a report on Lorillard's website, senior vice resident, Dr. Bill True, said, "With respect to public health, using the best methods available to science, it is clear a menthol cigarette is just another cigarette and should be treated no differently". His statement is at: http://investors.lorillard.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=134955&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1407756&highlight= Lorillard manufactures Newport, the US' best-selling menthol cigarette. During the fourth quarter of 2009, Newport's domestic volumes accounted for more than 85 per cent of Lorillard's total domestic volumes. The first meeting of the TPSAC started yesterday at the National Transportation Safety Board Conference Center in Washington, DC, and ends today. It is open to the public and is being webcast through a link available at www.fda.gov/tobacco. More information on TPSAC is available at:
http://www.fda.gov/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/TobaccoProductsScient
ificAdvisoryCommittee/default.htm. Enditem