Tobacco industry leaders meet to discuss latest findings by whistle-blower Victor DeNoble In the early 80’s big-time tobacco company Philip Morris hired scientist and whistle blower Victor DeNoble to create a healthier nicotine cigarette that was still extremely addictive.
By using animated cartoons, diagrams and storytelling, “Addiction Incorporated” directed by Charles Evans Jr. will take you into the secretive world you thought you knew.
With many different variables attached to this big debate of who was at fault, who was lied to, and who did the lying, DeNoble finally releases his side of the story after years of keeping what he knew, but couldn’t tell, a secret.
DeNoble was hired in the early 80’s to produce a healthier, more addictive cigarette containing nicotine. He started testing a new chemical on rats, and through cute animations depicting animated people-like rat-type creatures, we learn this new chemical made rats step on a lever that delivered the chemical more times than they did for nicotine.
The rats seemed more addicted with less of a chance of cancers and other harmful diseases found in both rats and humans. This was a breakthrough…that was hidden.
When DeNoble presented his findings, his superiors found that by mixing nicotine and the chemical they previously used, they could make their products even more addictive. At that point, all safety concerns were put on hold and greed got the better of the industry.
DeNoble was assigned to this project under one condition: he was never to speak of it and it was to be kept from society, as well as the company. Strange but true, DeNoble had to keep this a complete and total secret.
The documentary turns into a “he said-she said” game, and before its known, the movie turns into a blizzard of lawyers, FBI agents and testifying old employees.
On the other hand, there seem to be some flaws and weak spots in the approach of telling the story. To start off, much of the movie leans a bit too heavily toward cutesy animations before getting to the heart and soul of the story.
As DeNoble tells his side of his story, it often seems analogous to an advertisement as DeNoble describes extensively his work with schools. In such detail, he tells of his work with children almost as a proclamation for himself.
Nevertheless, in a short 100 minutes, Evans produces a brilliant movie that almost perfectly captures the alarming factors of this giant debate. DeNoble tells his side of the story in a such a way that captivates you in to this secret world that once was thought to be known.
“What we are hoping to do is to show how important it is to teach kids the truth,” Evans said.
The documentary was shown at the Nu Art Theater from Jan. 13 to Jan. 20. The producers, director, and DeNoble visited Daniel Pearl Magnet High School on January 10 to show this film and discuss it’s importance with the school’s students.
Source: The Pearl Post