[Licensed-to-Kill] LtK Lauds U.S. Effort to Undermine Global Tobacco Treaty

[Licensed to Kill, Inc]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 1, 2003
Contact:  Corrie Prutspin, Senior VP of Corporate Communications
          tobacco@licensedtokill.biz

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

Washington, DC =96 Licensed to Kill, Inc, the world=92s newest multinationa=
l
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=92t 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.

=93A 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,=94 said Licensed to Kill
CEO, Rich Fromdeth, =93It=92s 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.=94

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 =93honest=94 tobacco company -- one tha=
t
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=92s frank candor extends to its line of cigarettes, which include
=93Global Massacre,=94 =93Genocide=94, =93WOMD," and =93Throat Hole.=94

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.

=93It is absolutely vital that the U.S. not let global public health
zealots sabotage our efforts to have a toothless treaty text adopted,=94
said company Director Gray Vastone, =93A strong treaty would force us to
scuttle our corporate dream of a =93Global Massacre=94, =93WOMD=94, and =93=
Morgue=94
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.=94

=93We 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,=94 said Fromdeth,
=93The U.S. is just the right country to do that.=94

###

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: http://www.licensedtokill.biz