The Chief Executive Officer of Philip Morris International, one of the leading makers of cigarettes, told a nurse working with cancer patients on Wednesday that although cigarette smoking is addictive, it is not that hard to quit.

CEO Louis Camilleri said that in response to questions and comments at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in New York. Executives from the company and other overseas brands producing and selling cigarettes spent most of their time in the meeting sparring with anti-tobacco advocates.

Elisabeth Gundersen, the nurse CEO Camilleri responded to, cited statistics that cigarette smoking kills at least 400,000 Americans and a total of 5 million people all over the world each year. Gundersen is one of The Nightingale Nurses, an activist organization that aims to draw public attention to tobacco consumption.

Moreover, Gundersen reiterated a patient’s story wherein the patient mentioned that of all the vices he has beaten – cocaine included – he had most trouble with cigarette smoking.

In response to Gundersen’s statement, Camillari said that they are taking their responsibilities as a tobacco company very seriously. He even said that he does not think their efforts in pointing out that cigarette smoking is addictive and dangerous are appreciated. Furthermore, Camillari said that contrary to what Gundersen mentioned, cigarette smoking is not that hard to beat as there are more previous than current smokers in America today.

Philip Morris International is the largest non-government seller of cigarettes in the world.

Judy Blume’s young adult novel, “Tiger Eyes” is about to hit the big screen as the author agreed to pass the adaptation. Judy Blume wrote the screenplay along with her son, Lawrence Blume, who will be directing the film.

Tiger Eyes has been previously adapted in television such as the Fudge series and two ABC weekend specials in the year 1990s. However, this is the first time that the novel will be translated into a featured film since it has been believed that Blume is unwilling to agree to adaptations.

Tesco, a UK-based retail giant will be financing the film and the budget for the production will be less than $5 million. They will be looking for a U.S distributor when the film is done shooting.

“Tiger Eyes” was written by Judy Blume in the year 1981. It tells a story of a teenage girl named, Davey, whose family is forced to transfer to her relative’s house in New Mexico after her father was killed in a robbery.

The girl meets an American Indian boy named, Wolf, who has a terminally-sick father admitted in a hospital. In the course of the movie, Davey will learn how to deal with her loss and fear.

According to Blume, at first she was writing the story based on a family relocating to a new town, just as she did when she transferred with her children to Los Alamos. However, she soon realized that the story was a subconscious way for her to deal with the memory of her father who had a sudden death.

Blume said that she never thought of putting her novel in big screens even when there were several invitations. But, she is glad that her son will be directing the film. The productions will start on Wednesday in Santa Fe.