Philip Morris USA, in cooperation with Philip Morris International, provided $445,000 to establish the Center for Tobacco Grower Research within UT's Institute of Agriculture.

It's the only center of its kind in the country.
...
Green said production information - including the amount of tobacco grown, harvested and sold, location of growers and conditions affecting tobacco growth - is necessary for the long-term sustainability of the nation's tobacco production.

The University should be proud. When so many around the country and world are trying to assist people with quitting smoking, the University accepts money to increase tobacco production. What can you say? The more grants, the more research, the better the university. Never mind the students, faculty, community, society.

"It's a legal commodity," he said. "As long as there's a demand for the product, someone's going to be growing tobacco. This center is in support of agriculture, and tobacco is an important part of Tennessee agriculture. "

I say, Bull$*&@!