We're Rich, You're Dead!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 1, 2003
Contact: Corrie Prutspin, tobacco@licensedtokill.biz

LICENSED TO KILL, INC LAUDS
U.S. EFFORT TO UNDERMINE
GLOBAL TOBACCO TREATY

"We couldn't have a better administration representing our global business interests,"
says CEO Rich Fromdeth

Washington, DC – Licensed to Kill, Inc, the world’s newest multinational tobacco company, lauded the Bush Administration today for its admirable, last-ditch effort to gut an international treaty aimed at controlling the worldwide proliferation of tobacco products and the associated epidemic of tobacco-related death and disease.

On Monday, U.S. Ambassador Kevin Moley met with the director general of the World Health Organization in Geneva, on behalf of the Bush administration and its corporate constituents, to argue in favor of allowing signatories to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to disregard parts of the treaty they don’t like.

In particular, the U.S. and its tobacco industry allies are opposed to a global ban on tobacco advertising and a requirement that health warnings take up a third of the surface area of cigarette packs.

“A ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship would eliminate one of our industry's most effective avenues for hooking kids and young adults to our addictive product line,” said Licensed to Kill CEO, Rich Fromdeth, “It’s heartening to have a president who stands up for the Big Guys, however unpopular or detrimental to public health it may be. Truthfully, we couldn't have a better administration representing our global business interests.”

Licensed to Kill was officially incorporated in the state of Virginia on March 19, 2003. The company's purpose, as stated in its articles of incorporation, is "the manufacture and marketing of tobacco products in a way that each year kills over 400,000 Americans and 4.5 million other persons worldwide."

The company has billed itself as an “honest” tobacco company -- one that does not seek to cover up the deadly nature of its business -- in the hopes of avoiding the plethora of lawsuits facing its competitors. The company’s frank candor extends to its line of cigarettes, which include “Global Massacre,” “Genocide”, “WOMD," and “Throat Hole.”

Licensed to Kill, Inc fears that if the current draft text of the global health treaty is adopted by the World Health Assembly later this month, the company's ambitious plans for global expansion will be thwarted.

“It is absolutely vital that the U.S. not let global public health zealots sabotage our efforts to have a toothless treaty text adopted,” said company Director Gray Vastone, “A strong treaty would force us to scuttle our corporate dream of a “Global Massacre”, “WOMD”, and “Morgue” in the mouth of every child, woman, and man around the world. A weak treaty, on the other hand, would protect our right to peddle our deadly products wherever and however we please.”

“We live in dangerous times, when a small number of radical public health nuts are intent on squelching our freedom to continue making a killing around the world. It is time to nip public health fundamentalism in the bud or our industry will forever be in peril,” said Fromdeth, “The U.S. is just the right country to do that.”

###

Note: Licensed to Kill, Inc is a strong believer in democracy, as in "government of, by, and for corporations." For more information about Licensed to Kill's plans for global expansion and commitment to corporate citizenship go to: www.licensedtokill.biz

© 2003 Licensed to Kill, Inc
Website disclaimer: Licensed to Kill, Inc stands by the veracity, but not the morality
of the contents of www.licensedtokill.biz, as well as the behavior of our company and its public statements.