| Notes |
The Brandeis Hoot: "Meyer Koplow’s main notability came as a lawyer for tobacco giant Philip Morris (now Altria). Koplow was one of the principle attorneys responsible for negotiating the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, in which the four largest tobacco companies struck a deal with 46 state attorneys general. Under the terms of the deal, the tobacco companies made certain major concessions, such as refraining from advertising directly to minors and funding anti-tobacco efforts. In return, the states agreed to end the legal pursuit of compensation for health costs associated with tobacco use. At the time, anti-smoking groups hailed the settlement as a victory, and the tobacco companies used it as evidence that they were far from the soulless, murderous monoliths the public perceived them as.
But the settlement may have been far more of a victory for the companies than it initially seemed. Certainly it did little good for the public welfare: a 2001 study by the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that the settlement “appears to have had little effect on cigarette advertising in magazines and on the exposure of young people to these advertisements.” Furthermore, according to American Cancer Society CEO John Seffrin, “despite a commitment by the states to use proceeds from the settlement to combat tobacco use, states have unfortunately devoted the funds to other priorities at the same time the tobacco industry has increased spending on marketing and promotions.” So the settlement barred states from pursuing the tobacco companies further, while having scarce actual effect on their practices.
Amidst all of this, Koplow was a faithful crusader for Philip Morris. A New York Times article from the time reports on Koplow’s advocacy efforts: “Meyer Koplow, a lawyer for the tobacco industry, insisted last week that unless Congress enacted a law that gave tobacco companies considerable protection from damage suits, the cigarette companies would not agree to modify their relentless ad campaigns. Congress cannot stop the ads, Mr. Koplow asserted, because to do so would violate the companies’ right to free speech.”" |