Joseph L. Andrews Jr.

Joseph L. Andrews Jr. is an internist and chest specialist in Concord, Massachusetts. In the following viewpoint, he argues that smoking has remained a serious public health problem in America largely because of the actions of the tobacco industry.Tobacco companies have suppressed knowledge on the carcinogenic and addictive properties of cigarettes, have manipulated nicotine levels in cigarettes, and have marketed them to young people. Andrews calls for a national campaign to reduce the sale and consumption of tobacco by making it less profitable for cigarette manufacturers to sell their product and by holding these companies financially responsible for the social costs of smoking.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What significance does Andrews attach to admissions made by the Liggett Group in 1997 concerning the tobacco industry?
2. What reasons...