Jeffrey Wigand, the former Brown and Willamson Tobacco Corp. executive
labeled a "whistle blower" for his disclosures to federal agencies
about the addictive nature of tobacco--disclosures that led to a landmark settlement
between the tobacco industry and the attorneys general of 40 states--will visit
Syracuse University Jan. 24.
He will speak on the tobacco industry, nicotine addiction, and his experience
as a whistle blower from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Kilian Room, Room 500 in the
Hall of Languages. His visit is sponsored jointly by SU's Office of Substance
Abuse Prevention and Health Enhancement (S.A.P.H.E.) and the American Lung Association
of Central New York.
Wigand joined the Louisville, Ky.-based cigarette manufacturer Brown and
Williamson in 1988 as vice president of research and development. In his $300,000
position, he was charged with developing a "safer" cigarette.
Wigand began speaking out about wrongdoings in the tobacco industry in
the mid-'90s, revealing tobacco company research and marketing practices. He
became the highest-ranking executive to go public with what he knew. Wigand
cooperated with governmental agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA), in their investigation of the tobacco industry. Then-FDA Commissioner
David Kessler acknowledged that Wigand was central to the agency's investigation
into the role and effect of nicotine in tobacco products.
His 1995 interview with "60 Minutes" became the subject of controversy
when the network decided to shelve the interview for fear of a lawsuit from
Brown and Williamson. The interview was eventually broadcast.
Brown and Williamson sued Wigand because of his disclosures to government agencies
and the public, but the lawsuit was dismissed as part of the landmark settlement
between the tobacco industry and the attorneys general of 40 states on June
20, 1997.
Wigand's story was chronicled in the 1999 movie "The Insider"
starring Russell Crowe and Al Pacino, and has been the subject of several documentaries.
A native of New York, Wigand earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry, and
master's and doctoral degrees in biochemistry at SUNY Buffalo. He also received
a master's degree in secondary education from the University of Louisville.
Prior to his position at Brown and Williamson, Wigand held senior management
positions with Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer. He has also taught Japanese
and chemistry in public schools in Louisville.
Wigand now resides in Charleston, S.C,. and oversees his nonprofit foundation,
Smoke Free Kids. The foundation offers educational seminars using scientific
methods of discovery, actual industry data and documents in an educational process
intended to explain how the tobacco industry targets children and youths to
generate new ads. Wigand also speaks frequently on the subject of tobacco and
consults nationwide and in Canada.
