What were the experiences
The majority of all subgroups perceived the product as carrying at least some level of health risk, with fewer than 15% of respondents answering no risk for any question (fewer than 10% for those who never smoked)
Like much about the industry, it has changed dramatically since 46 states and the major tobacco companies signed a legal settlement 10 years ago last month.Unlike the rest of the industry, though, the changes on the farm might have less to do with the landmark agreement, in which tobacco companies agreed to pay states billions of dollars in perpetuity to help defray the costs of smoking-related illnesses, than with the changes that followed."It's hard to know exactly what impact the master settlement agreement had," said Daniel Green, coordinator of the Center for Tobacco Grower Research at the University of Tennessee.There were some payments to help farmers deal with expected market losses, but the buyout of the quota program in 2004, which essentially moved tobacco agriculture to more of a free-market model, probably had more to do with any transformation, Green said."That's what has really driven most of the change in tobacco production," he said.Some tobacco growth has rebounded during the past few years after the quota buyout, Green said, but the areas that have benefited most have been in North Carolina and western Kentucky.North Carolina's expansion in particular has cut into the market share of states such as Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and Virginia
Peter, Jerzy and Tom bring to their new roles strong leadership qualities and extensive experience gained over many years in the packaging industry
