[Licensed-to-Kill] DC Councilmember Receives "Golden Coffin" Award!

[Licensed to Kill, Inc]

On Tuesday, Licensed to Kill presented its first annual "Golden Coffin"
Award to DC councilmember Carol Schwartz at the opening of a public
hearing on smokefree workplace legislation for the nation's capitol.
Councilmember Schwartz was honored for steadfastly putting the health of
the tobacco industry above the health of people. Congrats Carol!

Photos of the award:
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/dc/coffin3.jpg
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/dc/coffin4.jpg

Photo of the award presentation to Councilmember Schwartz (who accepted
it, while television cameras were rolling!)
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/dc/schwartz.jpg

For more information, read the press release below.

####

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 14, 2005

DC COUNCILMEMBER CAROL SCHWARTZ CHOSEN AS FIRST RECIPIENT OF TOBACCO
COMPANY'S "GOLDEN COFFIN" AWARD

Award Recognizes Councilmember=92s Tireless Efforts to Thwart Smokefree
Legislation in Nation=92s Capitol

WASHINGTON, DC =96 The Virginia-based tobacco company Licensed to Kill,
Inc has chosen DC Councilmember Carol Schwartz as the first recipient of
its annual =93Golden Coffin=94 Award. The award will be bestowed this
morning at a public hearing scheduled by Councilmember Schwartz on
pending smokefree workplace legislation (10 am, Council Chamber, Room
500, John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave).

Licensed to Kill created the =93Golden Coffin=94 award to recognize
outstanding efforts by politicians to protect the health of the tobacco
industry. Councilmember Schwartz, chair of the Committee on Public Words
and the Environment, was unanimously chosen by a panel of Licensed to
Kill executives for her tireless efforts to thwart smokefree workplace
regulations in the Nation=92s Capitol.

=93Bad air means good business for the tobacco industry,=94 said Licensed t=
o
Kill Chairman and CEO Rich Fromdeth, =93The more workplaces where people
can smoke, the more of our mini smokestacks sold, the more money we
make. This award honors those who champion the lucrative =93golden=94 linin=
g
behind the epidemic of death and disease caused by our industry=92s cancer
sticks. We are so pleased that Councilmember Schwartz, a true proponent
of our =93More Smoke, Less Health=94 mantra, is our first awardee!=94

=93Carol has skillfully utilized a wide range of tactics to preserve toxic
workplace environments in the District. She has prevented a council vote
on popular legislation that would banish the carcinogenic plumes of our
poison puffs from all workplaces, while introducing delightfully weak
alternative legislation, =93 continued Fromdeth, =94That may not sound too
democratic to some, but don=92t forget corporations are people too and
someone=92s gotta represent our interests!=94

=93Washington, DC remains a critical east coast haven for tobacco smoke
pollution,=94 said Gray Vastone, Licensed to Kill=92s Director of Governmen=
t
Influence, =93Practically the entire northeast has passed comprehensive
smokefree workplace legislation -- Delaware, New York, Connecticut,
Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and most recently Vermont . Even
nearby Montgomery county has bucked the smoky status quo. If
Councilmember Schwartz stands firm, perhaps the region of clean indoor
air can be contained and prevented from spreading further south.=94

=93Like our industry rival, Altria (parent company of Philip Morris),
which gave the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington $10,000
for its awards ceremony earlier this month, Licensed to Kill believes in
showing appreciation where appreciation is due,=94 said Virginia Slime,
Licensed to Kill=92s Senior VP of Replacement Smoker Recruitment, =93It=92s
not always popular to champion =93Profits Over People=94 or the freedom to
spew Class A carcinogens into blue collar workers=92 faces, but Carol does
it with aplomb.=94

####

About Licensed to Kill: Licensed to Kill, Inc is a real company. It was
incorporated in the state of Virginia in March 2003. The purpose of the
company, as stated in its articles of incorporation, is "to manufacture
and market tobacco products in a way that each year kills over 400,000
Americans and 4.5 million other persons worldwide." The company's slogan
is: We're Rich, You're Dead! =99 For more information about Licensed to
Kill visit www.licensedtokill.biz