Jeffrey Wigand

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jeffrey Wigand

Jeffrey S. Wigand (born December 17, 1942 in New York City ) was vice-president of the department for research and development of "Brown & Williamson", a tobacco company of British American Tobacco . He was responsible for the development of a supposedly “healthier” cigarette by not adding coumarin .

On February 4, 1996, Wigand came to national fame when he turned to Lowell Bergman , one of the producers of the show 60 Minutes , as an informant . According to Wigand, Brown & Williamson had systematically hidden the health risks of the cigarettes they made. He and his family received anonymous death threats for what he said. The scandal was filmed in the seven-time Oscar- nominated film The Insider, starring Russell Crowe in the role of Wigand and Al Pacino in the role of Bergman.

Life

Jeffrey Wigand grew up in the Bronx and later in Pleasant Valley , New York State . After a short period in the military during the Vietnam War , he did his Masters and Ph. D. at the State University of New York in Buffalo .

Prior to Brown & Williamson, Wigand worked for companies such as Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson . He also worked as General and Marketing Director for Union Carbide in Japan . In January 1989 he was hired by Brown & Williamson and on March 24, 1993 dismissed without notice . Subsequently, he was a teacher of Chemistry and Japanese at the "DuPont Manual High School" in Louisville (Kentucky) . He was later named Kentucky State Teacher of the Year .

Wigand is divorced and has three daughters, one of whom is from his first marriage. He now lives in Mount Pleasant , Michigan and works primarily for his non-profit organization “Smoke-Free Kids Inc.”, which aims to motivate children of all ages to live a smoke-free life. As an insider and expert on tobacco consumption and production of tobacco products, he gives lectures worldwide.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b transcript of the 60 Minutes broadcast with Dr. Wigand , Jeffreywigand.com, February 4, 1996
  2. ↑ a b 'Insider' schools kids on nicotine secrets , USA Today, January 17, 2007
  3. ↑ biography
  4. ↑ Jeffrey Wigand in the Notable Names Database (English)
  5. ↑ Smoke-Free Kids Inc. (English)
  6. ^ Battling Big Tobacco, Mike Wallace Talks To The Highest-Ranking Tobacco Whistleblower , CBS, January 16, 2005

Web links

Wikiquote: The Insider (film)  - Quotes
personal data
SURNAME Wigand, Jeffrey
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wigand, Jeffrey S.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION US Vice President of Research and Development at "Brown & Williamson"
DATE OF BIRTH December 17, 1942
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City