Tobacco Settlement

I was appalled by your June 22 editorial on the “tobacco deal.” You failed to inform your readers of the obvious flaws that make this deal a great victory for the tobacco industry. The numbers aren’t quite so staggering when spread over 25 years. Most of the dollars spent by the industry will be tax deductible, i.e., paid by us, not the tobacco executives.

The deal is a boon for thousands of lawyers who will share the pie to the detriment of suing plaintiffs. The deal allows the industry to cripple the FDA’s ability to effectively regulate nicotine. The tobacco industry will be free to enslave emerging markets and more than make up for the “paper losses” at home.

One must be naive or simple-minded to think the tobacco industry would have agreed so readily to a deal that would have effectively safeguarded consumers’ interests.

I urge readers to write to their representatives to disallow this biased arrangement.

MAURIZIO BONACINI MD

Huntington Beach

After reading the June 26 letters regarding the tobacco settlement, I felt an important angle on the settlement was missing. The settlement and the opinions about it confirm a dangerous and increasing trend in American culture toward a complete lack of personal responsibility. Everyone has a choice of whether to smoke or not. Cigarettes are unhealthy and addictive. When individuals choose to smoke, they are risking their health, but that is their choice. The settlement, in essence, is saying the smoker did not have a choice and that the cigarette manufacturer is responsible for a person’s lack of self-control.

As with alcohol, marijuana and almost all other substances, cigarettes used in moderation pose a minimal health risk. This settlement sets a dangerous precedent. What’s next? A settlement for alcoholics against brewers. We cannot continue to reward people’s lack of self-control.

ROBERT SOMERS

Newport Beach