Obfuscation of facts and the reflection of self-doubt—the proverbial combination of smoke and mirrors—might have sufficed for any ordinary public relations campaign. But the final ploy was unrivaled in its genius. Rather than discourage further research into the link between tobacco and cancer, tobacco companies proposed letting scientists have more of it: “We are pledging aid and assistance to the research effort into all phases of tobacco use and health . . . in addition to what is already being contributed by individual companies.”
