Jump to full article: Tobacco BBS, 1997-06-28
Intro: Q. Is it still your testimony, sir, that you have no recollection of any specific instances of dealing with Compound W?
A. That's correct. Back in 1969 obviously it became a slang term, if you will, for some work we had done in the research department. This memorandum is dated almost three years later obviously in response to a direct question by Mr. Heimann. At least it appears to be that way.
Q. What was your job on April 25th, 1972?
A. I was the director of research and development.
Q. You called Compound W a slang term at this point in time? What do you mean by that?
A. A descriptive term.
Q. Was it a reference to nicotine?
A. I would assume so. Yes, sir. The memo certainly suggests that, but it is a theoretical --It's an answer to a theoretical question. How do you get higher nicotine? Well, you can add it. You can buy tobacco differently. You can do it lots of other ways. Through shuffling reconstituted, shuffling stems in the blend. It seemed to me like it was a very direct answer to a very direct question, a theoretical type of question.
Q. Why was the president of American Tobacco interested in this question in 1972?
A. He was trying to perform his function - He had dual function. He was involved very heavily with marketing, and he wanted to know why certain brands were performing better or worse than other competitive brands, and was it related to marketing and advertising or related to product? Product content.
Q. Was it his view that nicotine content affected the popularity of brands?
A. I doubt it. I don't know. I can't -- You have to ask him that. . . .
Q. But you cannot, as you sit here today, testify that Compound W was not used in any American Tobacco commercial products, can you?
A. I said to my knowledge it was never used.
Q. But you admit that you don't have full knowledge. Do you?
A. I wouldn't think I would have full knowledge about anything in this world.
Q. And you're disclaiming knowledge specifically about Compound W, aren't you?
A. No. I didn't -- I told you on the record what Iknew about Compound W. Others knew other things. Fine.
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