Health Groups Concerned??????? - JCam, 2/09/01 1:06PM  

 
This letter is directed to you Mr Myers, Mr Seffrin and C. Wheeler and to leaders of other health organizations that say they are against tobacco and youth smoking. If you are against smoking like you say you are why do you allow 200+ millon pounds of cheap oriental,semi-oriental and cigar type tobaccos to be imported into the USA and it is not inspected and sampled by the USDA? Why don't you push to have this tobacco sampled to see what illegal pesticides and herbicides are used on this tobacco. Our US farmers are subject to these inspections. The advertising ban you have put against the tobacco companies have not worked, there are more youth smoking now than ever. If they are going to smoke should you not try to make it as safe as possible. It looks to me it would be more important to check the tobacco they are smoking for dangerous chemicals than worry about Joe Camel or the Marlboro Man. But I guess PHILLIP MORRIS and RJR have you in their hip pocket also!