Copyright c 1994 by Nicholas Johnson Iowa City [Iowa] Press-Citizen, July 11, 1994, p. 9A. Suing the tobacco industry is a solution by Nicholas Johnson "Suing tobacco companies is wrong course," you editorialize (July 6). Perhaps. If you own tobacco company stock, or profit from such company's advertising. Otherwise it makes all the sense in the world. For two reasons. One. It's difficult to keep our teenagers from becoming the tobacco industry's "replacement smokers" for the 450,000 customers it kills each year. The one thing that does discourage them? Raising cigarette taxes. Those who think the criminal law's penalties are to deter crime would agree that heavy fines discourage criminal behavior. Corporate executives are no exception. What alters their anti-social behavior? Paying fines, and legal damage awards, big enough to hurt. If we want to save some of those 450,000 needless deaths "suing tobacco companies is a right course." Two. But what Sen. Harkin is proposing doesn't even rise to the level of a penalty. Illnesses from tobacco are costly. Someone has to pay for treatment. The question is who? You and me (as taxpayers or health insurance premium payers)? Or those making billions of dollars from selling an addictive, deadly substance? Defeating Harkin's bill won't make those costs disappear. Passing it simply shifts them to those who caused -- and profited -- from them. Looks like the right course to me. Nicholas Johnson Iowa City # # # *** Copyright c 1994 by Nicholas Johnson. Conditions: This material is copyright by Nicholas Johnson. However, permission is hereby granted to download, copy and distribute the text to others if (1) the text is not altered, and (2) there is no charge to the recipient, and (3) this copyright notice and conditions are attached. It is a copyright violation to distribute this material altered, or without the copyright notice and conditions attached, or to use the material in any way for which remuneration is received without the prior permission of Nicholas Johnson. Contact: 1035393@mcimail.com; Box 1876 Iowa City IA 52244; 319-337-5555. *** END OF FILE