Why Tobacco Won't Quit

Legal costs and taxes haven't choked the industry. Profits are rising. And the feds are off the case

They are pathetic, aren't they? Even on the harshest days, you can find them huddled in the doorways of every office building in America, sucking in those sweet and deadly toxins. What do you say to people who engage in this relentless act of self-destruction?

Thank you--that is, if you're a tobacco company or an investor in one. Two years after absorbing what was supposed to be a death blow, the industry seems once again as healthy as a vegan marathoner. And last week it got an unexpected pick-me-up from the Bush Justice Department. The DOJ said it may be willing...

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