Smokin' Justice

[Mr VJP]

"The Justice Department wants the largest cigarette  manufacturers to admit that they lied to the public about the dangers of  smoking," reports the Associated Press,  "forcing the industry to set up and pay for an advertising campaign of  self-criticism for past behavior." The DOJ, as part of a 12-year-old  lawsuit against the tobacco industry, wants companies to make 14  "corrective statements," which it released on Wednesday.

For example, the government aims to force tobacco  companies to say, "A federal court is requiring tobacco companies to  tell the truth about cigarette smoking. Here's the truth: ... Smoking  kills 1,200 Americans. Every day." Also, "We falsely marketed low tar  and light cigarettes as less harmful than regular cigarettes to keep  people smoking and sustain our profits." Another one reads, "For  decades, we denied that we controlled the level of nicotine delivered in  cigarettes." A third statement says, "Here's the truth. ... We control  nicotine delivery to create and sustain smokers' addiction, because  that's how we keep customers coming back."

Regardless of one's position on smoking or "Big  Tobacco," the strong-arm tactics on display here and the negative  implications for liberty and Rule of Law are alarming. Substitute any  other industry for tobacco producers -- say, gun manufacturers -- and  the problem becomes a bit clearer.