The Insider Page #17

Lowell's reaction. Jeffrey's statements are stunning and

powerful revelations...and dangerous ones to make.

MIKE WALLACE:

All of us did. There was this whole line

of people...whole line of CEOs up there

all swearing.

WIGAND:

Part of the reason I'm here is I felt

that their representation clearly

misstated, at least within Brown &

Williamson's representation, clearly

misstated...what is common language

within the company...we are in the

nicotine delivery business.

MIKE WALLACE:

And that's what cigarettes are for...?

WIGAND:

A delivery device for nicotine.

MIKE WALLACE:

A delivery device for nicotine. Put it

in your mouth, light it up, and you're

gonna get your fix...

WIGAND:

You're gonna get your fix...

MIKE WALLACE:

You're saying that Brown & Williamson

manipulates and adjusts the nicotine fix,

not by artificially adding nicotine, but

by enhancing the effect of nicotine

through the use of chemical elements such

as ammonia...

WIGAND:

(nods)

The process is known as "impact

boosting..." While not spiking nicotine,

they clearly manipulate it. There's

extensive use of this technology, know

as "ammonia chemistry." It allows for

the nicotine to be more rapidly absorbed

in the lung and therefore affect the

brain and central nervous system.

INT. THE STUDIO, CBS - LATER

WIGAND:

The straw that broke the camel's back for

me and really put me in trouble with

Sandefur was a compound called

"coumarin." When I came on board at B&W,

they had tried to transition from

coumarin to a similar flavor that would

give the same taste, and had been

unsuccessful. I wanted it out

immediately.

I was told that it would affect sales, so

I should mind my own business. I

constructed a memo to Mr. Sandefur

indicating I could not in conscience

continue with coumarin in a product that

we now knew, we had documentation, was

similar to coumadin, a lung-specific

carcinogen...

MIKE WALLACE:

And you sent the document forward to

Sandefur?

WIGAND:

I sent the document forward to Sandefur.

I was told that we would continue to work

on a substitute, we weren't going to

remove it as it would impact sales, and

that that was his decision.

MIKE WALLACE:

In other words, you were charging

Sandefur and Brown & Williamson with

ignoring health considerations

consciously...

WIGAND:

Most certainly.

MIKE WALLACE:

And on March 24, Thomas Sandefur, CEO of

Brown & Williamson had you fired. And

the reason he gave you?

WIGAND:

Poor communication skills.

MIKE WALLACE:

And, do you wish you hadn't come forward?

You wish you hadn't blown the whistle?

WIGAND:

Yeah, there are times I wish I hadn't

done it. There are times I feel

compelled to do it. If you asked me

would I do it again? Do I think it's

worth it? Yeah, I think it's worth it.

INT. A HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE CLASS, LOUISVILLE - AFTERNOON

Not too many kids paying attention. Meanwhile, Jeffrey has

written his name on the blackboard.

WIGAND:

Hi.

KIDS:

(in unison)

Hi.

WIGAND:

My name is Jeff Wigand. You can call me

Mr. Wigand; you can call me Dr. Wigand--I

have a Ph.D. in biochemistry and

endocrinology; you can call me Jeff...

(beat)

Anything else you want to call

me...you'll have to do so in private...

(a few kids smile)

Okay... I find chemistry to be magical.

I find it an adventure. An exploration

into the building blocks of our physical

universe...

(beat)

So, how many of you have taken chemistry

before?

Nobody raises their hands.

WIGAND (CONT'D)

(easy smile)

Okay...I've never taught it before, so

we're gonna be fine.

A couple of laughs... And we feel Jeffrey, for the first

time is in a milieu that suits him.

WIGAND (cont'd)

Our first experiment is...

(holds up cigarette lighter)

...going to be measuring the molecular

weight of butane...

INT. SCRUGGS' OFFICE

Scruggs' office is decorated with watercolors of Phantom jets

and A-6s as Scruggs takes off his glasses...

CHARLENE:

He's on line three.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL CORRIDOR

Jeffrey Wigand is on a pay phone in the corridor crowded with

students...

RICHARD SCRUGGS:

Hello.

WIGAND:

Mr. Scruggs, Jeff Wigand. Lowell Bergman

said I should give you a call...

INT. SCRUGGS' OFFICE

RICHARD SCRUGGS:

My co-counsel, Ron Motley, and I have

filed a lawsuit against the tobacco

industry on behalf of the State of

Mississippi to get the state reimbursed

Medicaid costs for treating people with

smoking-related illness.

(beat)

If you'd be interested in talking to us,

we'd certainly like to talk to you...

WIGAND:

When should we do this?

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