Jeffrey Wigand
by Zackery Gould
Who is Jeffrey?
Wigand served in the Air Force and later received his doctorate in biochemistry. He worked for several companies in the health industry as a researcher and a conductor of medical trials before becoming employed by the tobacco company Brown & Williamson as a Vice President of research and development.
Blowing the Whistle
Wigand decided to break the confidentiality agreement he had with his previous employer and in 1994 he talked to 60 Minutes about his experiences at the job and the process undertaken to create a "fire safe" cigarette. Through the next couple years, he continued to provide more and more information about the lies the tobacco industry had provided to hide the health risks of cigarettes. He testified in 1995 against the tobacco companies saying that they had altered the amount of nicotine in cigarettes and lied about its effects and halted the creation of "healthier" cigarettes. In 1996, CBS aired an interview in which Wigand made his statements about the tobacco industry in front of the entire country. This revealed to the nation of people that they had been lied to by the big tobacco companies and were getting health issues because of them.
Jeffrey Wigand interviewed by Charlie Rose (1/2)
Effects of Wigand's Exploits
The information Wigand has revealed has had a tremendous impact on our society's regulations today. He has helped the process of banning smoking in public places and helped create smoke-free locations. Smoking is becoming banned in public offices and restaurants due to his work. Many states have become "smoke-free" states due to his assistance and now he is helping internationally. In Canada, he has helped raise the price of cigarettes, provide warnings on the boxes, and created a type of ban on advertising for tobacco companies. Although this whistle blowing was great for the people of America and the world, this was a great detriment to Wigand's life and safety. Brown & Williamson put a lot of pressure on Wigand after his release of the information, and he received threats and was robbed. He turned to drinking and developed a serious bout with alcoholism. Today, Wigand speaks with children about the dangers of cigarettes and tobacco use.