ABOUT CURTAILING TEEN SMOKING ON THIS FLOOR TODAY, WE'RE
           TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE. BUT IF YOU BELIEVE THAT WE ARE
           THEY'RE REDUCE TEENAGE SMOKING AND YOU BELIEVE THAT THE MARKET
           CAN WORK WONDERS IN TERMS OF ALLOCATING GOODS AND SERVICES, YOU
           SHOULD BE SUPPORTINGING -- SUPPORTING THIS AMENDMENT. NOW, AS I
           INDICATED, THE EVIDENCE IS REPLETE FROM MANY DIFFERENT SOURCES
           OF THIS EFFECT. REPORTS FROM THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE'S
           NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE,

           THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, THE SURGEON GENERAL, ALL THESE
           INDICATE THE CORRELATION BETWEEN PRICE INCREASES AND REDUCED
           TEENAGE SMOKING. A NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH STUDY
           IN 1996 FOUND THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WERE THREE TIMES AS SENSITIVE
           TO CIGARETTE PRICES AS OLDER SMOKERS. A 1997 STUDY IN TOBACCO
           CONTROL FOUND A STRONG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CIGARETTE PRICES
           AND YOUTHFUL SMOKING. WITH EACH 10% INCREASE IN PRICE RESULTING

           IN A 9% REDUCTION IN YOUTH SMOKING. AND IN 1998, A REPORT
           TAKING ACTIONS TO REDUCE TOBACCO USE, THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE
           OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES CONCLUDED THAT THE
           SINGLE-MOST DIRECT AND RELIABLE METHOD FOR REDUCING CONSUMPTION
           IS TO INCREASE THE PRICE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS; THUS, ENCOURAGING
           THE CESSATION AND REDUCING THE LEVEL OF INITIATION OF TOBACCO
           USE. A NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE EXPERT PANEL IN 1993 REPORTED
           A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN TOBACCO EXCISE TAXES MAY BE THE
           SINGLE-MOST EFFECTIVE MEASURE FOR DECREASING TOBACCO

           CONSUMPTION, AND THEY ALSO CONCLUDED THAT AN EXCISE TAX REDUCES
           CONSUMPTION BY CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS AT LEAST AS MUCH AS IT
           REDUCES CONSUMPTION BY ADULTS. IN 1994, THE SURGEON GENERAL
           REPORTED LIKEWISE, INDICATES A REAL PRICE INCREASE WOULD
           SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE CIGARETTE SMOKING. ALL OF THIS DATA, ALL
           OF THESE STUDIES COME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION -- IF WE WANT TO
           REDUCE TEENAGE SMOKING, IF WE WANT TO USE THE EFFICIENT
           ALLOCATION MECHANISM OF THE MARKET, WE SHOULD RAISE THE PRICE

           TO A SIGNIFICANT LEVEL $1.50 PER PACK. NOW, ALL OF THESE
           EXPERIENCES ARE ACK DEMOCRAT AND I CAN WE CAN HAVE A BATTLE OF
           REPORTS AND ANALYSIS BACK AND FORTH HERE, BUT WE HAVE A
           REAL-LIFE EXAMPLE N. CANADA BETWEEN 1979 AND 1991, WHEN REAL
           PRICES INCREASED FROM $2.09 TO $5.42, SMOKING RATES AMONG YOUNG
           PEOPLE 15 TO 19 YEARS OLD FELL FROM 42% TO 16%. WHILE OVERALL

           CONSUMPTION OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS DECLINED. A HUGE DECREASE. NOW,
           THIS WAS A BIG SAMPLE, THE COUNTRY OF CANADA. REAL PRICE
           INCREASES AND REAL DRAMATIC RESULTS IN DECREASING TEENAGE
           SMOKING. WE HAVE TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW AND WE ALL
           RECITE REPEATEDLY THE STATISTICS. 50 MILLION AMERICANS ADDICTED
           TO TOBACCO. ONE OUT OF EVERY THREE OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WILL
           DIE PREMATURELY FROM TOBACCO-RELATED DISEASES. THREE-QUARTERS
           OF THEM WANT TO QUIT SMOKING BUT THEY CAN'T BECAUSE OF AN

           ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCE. AND THE CONCLUSION THAT THEY'VE COME TO
           AND WE SHOULD, IT'S BETTER THAT THEY NEVER STARTED. IT'S BETTER
           THAT WE TAKE STEPS TO CURTAIL TEENAGE SMOKING WHEN THERE'S A
           CHANCE TO DIVERT A YOUNG PERSON AWAY FROM THIS ADDICTION. WE
           KNOW THAT OVER 90% OF SMOKERS STARTED BEFORE THEY WERE 18.
           AGAIN, A CLARION CALL TO US TO TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT THE YOUTH
           OF THIS COUNTRY. EACH YEAR ONE MILLION CHILDREN BECOME REGULAR

           SMOKERS AND, AS I SAID, ONE-THIRD OF THEM WILL DIE PREMATURELY.
           THERE ARE FIVE MILLION KIDS UNDER 18 CURRENTLY ALIVE TODAY WHO
           WILL DIE FROM TOBACCO-RELATED DISEASES UNLESS WE ACT. TRUE
           ACROSS THE COUNTRY. DISTURBEDLY IN MY HOME STATE OF RHODE
           ISLAND, SMOKING LEVELS HAVE FLATTENED OUT WITH RESPECT TO THE
           OVERALL POPULATION, BUT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SEEM TO BE SMOKING
           25% MORE THAN THEY WERE JUST A FEW YEARS AGO. WE HAVE TO ACT
           NOW. WE HAVE TO USE THE MOST DECISIVE TOOL WE HAVE AND THAT IS

           PRICE INCREASES TO AFFECTS BEHAVIOR OF YOUNG PEOPLE -- TO
           AFFECT BEHAVIOR OF YOUNG PEOPLE SO THAT WE WILL NOT SEE THEM
           NEEDLESSLY DIE FROM TOBACCO-RELATED SDEEDSS. AND I SUPPORT
           WHOLEHEARTEDLY AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY THE EFFORT BY MY COLLEAGUE
           TO ENSURE WE HAVE AN INCREASE THAT WILL DO THE JOB THAT WILL
           HAVE AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO CURTAIL TEEN SMOKING. AND WITH THIS, I
           WOULD YIELD BACK MY TIME TO THE SENATOR FROM MASSACHUSETTS. A

           SENATOR: MR. PRESIDENT?
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WHO YIELDS TIME?
           
           

           MR. KERRY: MR. PRESIDENT, HOW MUCH TIME DID THE SENATOR FROM
           RHODE ISLAND CONSUME?
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THERE'S A TOTAL TIME OF 54 MINUTES AND
           20 SECONDS LEFT.
           

           MR. KERRY: MR. PRESIDENT, I YIELD TEN MINUTES TO THE SENATOR
           FROM FLORIDA.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM FLORIDA.
           

           MR. GRAHAM: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. MR. PRESIDENT, I ASK
           UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT MISS SUSAN GOOD GOODMAN 6 MY STAFF BE
           ACCORDED FLOOR PRIVILEGES FOR THE DURATION 6 S. 1415.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION.
           

           MR. GRAHAM: MR. PRESIDENT, WE HAVE JUST BEEN SUBJECTED IN THE
           UNITED STATES SENATE TO WHAT I THINK COULD APPROPRIATELY BE
           DESCRIBED AS A FILIBUSTER -- FOUR HOURS OF WANDERING DISCUSSION
           OF AN AMENDMENT THAT IS NOT BEFORE THE SENATE. DURING THOSE
           FOUR HOURS OF THAT FILIBUSTER, 500 -- 500 -- 500 AMERICAN YOUTH
           UNDER THE AGE OF 18 COMMENCED THEIR FIRST USE OF TOBACCO

           PRODUCTS. ONE-THIRD OF THOSE 500 AMERICAN YOUTH WHO DURING THAT
           FOUR-HOUR FILIBUSTER STARTED THE USE OF TOBACCO, WILL DIE, WILL
           DIE PREMATURELY OF A TOBACCO-RELATED AFFLICTION. I HEARD, AS I
           WALKED THROUGH THE CHAMBER DURING THIS FOUR HOURS, MOCKING
           COMMENTS, "DOES ANYBODY BELIEVE THAT WE ARE REALLY HERE TO TRY
           TO REDUCE TEENAGE SMOKING?" "DOES ANYBODY REALLY FEEL THAT WE
           ARE HERE TO REDUCE TEENAGE SMOKING?" THE ANSWER IS YES, WE ARE

           HERE TO REDUCE TEENAGE SMOKING. THAT IS THE ONLY LEGITIMATE
           REASON THAT WE CAN BE HERE. AND ANYONE WHO DOES NOT START THEIR
           DEBATE BY A CLEAR STATEMENT OF THEIR COMMITMENT TO THAT
           OBJECTIVE HAS DEBASED THIS NATIONAL DEBATE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF
           TOBACCO AND THE YOUTH OF AMERICA. IN FOUR HOURS, 500 AMERICAN
           YOUTH HAVE TAKEN UP SMOKING. SINCE MAY THE 20TH OF 1997 -- ONE

           YEAR AGO -- THE NUMBER IS 1,095,000 AMERICAN YOUTH UNDER THE
           AGE OF 18 HAVE TAKEN UP THE USE OF TOBACCO. 365,000 -- 365,000
           --  THOSE AMERICAN YOUTH WHO HAVE TAKEN UP TOBACCO IN THE LAST
           ONE YEAR WILL DIE PREMATURELY OF A TOBACCO-RELATED AFFLICTION.
           IT IS TO THEM THAT THIS DEBATE IS DIRECTED. MR. PRESIDENT, THE

           BEST PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORS AVAILABLE TO US HAVE RECOMMENDED
           THAT WE SET AS A GOAL AS A 65% -- A 65% REDUCTION IN TEENAGE
           SMOKING OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS. THAT IS A CHALLENGING GOAL,
           BUT IT IS AN ATTAINABLE GOAL. IT IS A GOAL WHICH IS GOING TO
           STRETCH US IN THE POLITICAL COMMUNITY, IT IS GOING TO STRETCH
           THOSE IN THE HEALTH AND THE EDUCATION AND ESPECIALLY THE
           FAMILIES OF AMERICA TO THEIR BEST IN TERMS OF BEGINNING TO

           ATTACK THIS SCOURGE, WHICH HAS MY COLLEAGUE FROM RHODE ISLAND
           HAS JUST INDICATED IS A GROWING SCOURGE OF TEENAGE SMOKING. I
           BELIEVE THAT AN IMPORTANT PART OF ACHIEVING THAT GOAL OF A 65%
           REDUCTION IS TO RAISE THE PRICE OF CIGARETTES TO AS HIGH A
           LEVEL AS CAN BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT INDUCING OTHER NEGATIVE
           CONSEQUENCES AND TO DO THAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. FOR THAT
           REASON, I AM A COSPONSOR OF THIS AMENDMENT WHICH WOULD RAISE

           THE PRICE TO WHAT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED BY THE PUBLIC HEALTH
           COMMUNITY, $1.50 PER PACK, AND TO DO SO IN THREE YEARS. THIS IS
           CONSISTENT WITH LEGIATION WHICH I HAVE COSPONSORED WITH
           SENATORS CHAFEE AND HARKIN. IT IS NOT THE ONLY THING WE NEED TO
           DO. WE ALSO NEED TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE ATTACK AGAINST TEENAGE
           SMOKING, AND THAT COMPREHENSIVE ATTACK NEEDS TO INCLUDE WEAPONS
           SUCH AS RESTRICTIONS ON MARKETING AND PROMOTION. NO MORE

           MARLBORO MAN, NO MORE JOE CAMEL APPEALING TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
           IT NEEDS TO INCLUDE EFFECTIVE CESSATION EFFORTS IN THE SCHOOLS,
           THROUGH PUBLIC METHODS OF COMMUNICATION. IT NEEDS INCLUDE
           LOOK-BACK PROVISIONS WHICH WILL SURCHARGE THE INDUSTRY AND
           INDIVIDUAL COMPANIES IF THEY FAIL TO MEET THE NATIONALLY
           ESTABLISHED GOALS FOR REDUCTION OF TEENAGE SMOKING. ALL OF
           THOSE ARE IMPORTANT. BUT THE REALITY IS THAT THE SINGLE-MOST
           IMPORTANT PART OF ACHIEVING THE GOAL OF 65% REDUCTION IN

           TEENAGED SMOKING IS TO GET THE PRICE TO AS HIGH A LEVEL AS
           REASONABLE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THE BEST ESTIMATES ARE THAT
           85% -- 85% -- OF THE EFFECTIVENESS IN TERMS OF REDUCING TEENAGE
           SMOKING WILL COME THROUGH MONETARY MEANS. THE OTHER 15% WILL BE
           THE SOFTER, THE MORE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFORTS AT EDUCATION AND
           RESTRAINT ON PROMOTION AND ADVERTISING. AND IT IS APPROPRIATE

           THAT WE SHOULD BE USING THE MONETARY MEANS AS THE PRINCIPAL
           FORCE TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL OF 65% REDUCTION. SOME OF THOSE WHO
           HAVE SPOKEN -- EITHER SPOKEN DIRECTLY OR SPOKEN THROUGH THE
           FORM OF VERY ELONGATED QUESTIONS -- HAVE INFERRED THAT THERE IS
           SOMETHING WRONG WITH INSERTING THE ECONOMIC COMPONENT INTO THIS
           DEBATE. THE FACT IS THERE ALREADY IS A SUBSTANTIAL ECONOMIC
           COMPONENT, MR. PRESIDENT. AS YOU KNOW, FOUR STATES, INCLUDING

           MY OWN, HAVE REACHED VERY SIGNIFICANT SETTLEMENTS WITH THE
           TOBACCO INDUSTRY IN WHICH THE INDUSTRY ESSENTIALLY ADMITTED
           THAT THEIR COST IN TERMS OF COST TO TREAT PEOPLE WITH
           AFFLICTIONS RELATED TO THEIR USE OF TOBACCO, ARE IN THE
           BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THIS IS NOT A COST-FREE DECISION IF WE DO
           NOTHING. IF WE DO NOTHING, WE ACCEPT THE FACT THAT WE'LL
           CONTINUE HAVING THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS PAY THESE ENORMOUS
           ANNUAL COSTS TO TREAT THE ILLNESSES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN

           INDUCED TO SMOKE TOBACCO. IT'S ALSO APPROPRIATE IN THIS ERA OF
           FREE MARKET ECONOMIES WHERE WE ARE LOOKING TO LAWS SUCH AS
           SUPPLY AND DEMAND RATHER THAN LAWS OF REGULATION AS A MEANS OF
           AFFECTING HUMAN BEHAVIOR, THAT WE INSERT AS THE KEYSTONE OF
           THIS LEGISLATION A SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC DISINCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE
           TO UTILIZE TOBACCO PRODUCTS, A DISINCENTIVE WHICH WE KNOW WILL
           HAVE ITS PRIMARY EFFECT ON YOUNGER SMOKERS, SMOKERS TO WHOM

           DISCRETIONARY INCOME IS MORE LIMITED, SMOKERS WHO ARE LESS
           FLINGLY ADDICTED TO THE -- LESS PHYSICALLY ADDICTED TO THE USE
           OF TOBACCO. SO, MR. PRESIDENT, FOR THOSE WHO WILL OPPOSE THIS
           AMENDMENT AMENDMENT, I WOULD ISSUE THIS CHALLENGE. IF YOU ARE
           NOT PREPARED TO ACCEPT THE GOAL OF A 65% REDUCTION IN TEENAGED
           SMOKING, THEN WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?
           AND WHY ARE YOU PREPARED TO SUPPORT A LESSENED GOAL,
           RECOGNIZING THAT EVERY PERCENTABLE -- EVERY PERCENTAGE POINT

           BELOW 65% MEANS THAT YOU ARE CONSIGNING THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN
           YOUNG PEOPLE EACH YEAR TO THE SCOURGE SCOURGE, THE COST, THE
           SOCIAL ISSUES RELATED TO THE USE OF TOBACCO, AND ONE-THIRD OF
           THOSE WHO START THE PROCESS WILL END UP DYING PREMATURELY
           BECAUSE OF A TOBACCO-RELATED AFFLICTION. IF YOU ARE NOT
           PREPARED TO ACCEPT THE 65% GOAL, DEFEND AN ALTERNATIVE. AND IF

           YOU ACCEPT THE 65% GOAL BUT ARE UNWILLING TO ACCEPT THOSE
           THINGS WHICH ARE NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE IT, THEN WHAT IS YOUR
           ALTERNATIVE?
           WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT WILL YOU SUBSTITUTE
           FOR WHAT THE BEST EXPERTS IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNITY SAY IS
           REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE THAT 65% GOAL?
           WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THOSE NONECONOMIC FACTORS ARE ALREADY
           UNDER ASSAULT, SUCH AS THE PROMOTION AND ADVERTISING, SO IT
           BECOMES EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAT WE ADOPT THE AMENDMENT AS
           OFFERED BY SENATOR KENNEDY AND OTHERS, WHICH WILL RAISE THE

           PRICE TO THE $1.50 LEVEL.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR'S TEN MINUTES HAVE EXPIRED.
           
           MR. GRAHAM:00 MR. PRESIDENT --
           

           MR. GRAHAM: MR. PRESIDENT, ALSO HAVING EXPIRED DURING THAT TEN
           MINUTES HAVE BEEN 41 AMERICAN YOUTH WHO HAVE TAKEN UP SMOKING
           DURING THE TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING. 14 OF THOSE WILL
           EXPIRE PREMATURELY BECAUSE OF A TOBACCO-RELATED AFFLICTION. IT
           IS TO THEM THAT THIS DEBATE, THIS ISSUE IS DEDICATED. MR.
           KERRY: MR. PRESIDENT?
           
           

           THE ESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM MASSACHUSETTS.
           

           MR. KERRY: MR. PRESIDENT, I YIELD SEARCH MINUTES TO THE SENATOR
           FROM NORTH DAKOTA.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM NORTH DAKOTA.
           

           MR. CONRAD: MR. PRESIDENT, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF MISINFORMATION
           ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE THIS MORNING. I HEARD THE SENATOR
           FROM TEXAS TALK ABOUT AN OPINION PIECE IN "THE WASHINGTON POST"
           THIS MORNING SAYING THAT IF THIS $1.50-A-PACK INCREASE WERE
           PASSED, WE'D HAVE A MASSIVE BLACK MARKET. THE SENATOR FROM
           TEXAS FAILED TO POINTED OUT WHO WROTE THE OPINION PIECE. THAT
           OPINION PIECE, WHO HE CITED AS BEING WRITTEN BY A
{END: 1998/05/20 TIME: 14-30 , Wed.  105TH SENATE, SECOND SESSION}