Star Scientific Applauds Recent State Legislation - Banning Smoking in Cars with Children an Important Step Forward

Star Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ:STSI) issued the following statement today: A growing number of states have recognized the harm associated with exposure to secondhand smoke in confined spaces such as automobiles, and have moved to protect children from this risk. Last week, Maine joined California, Arkansas and Louisiana, as well as Puerto Rico, in passing laws that ban adult smoking in cars when youngsters are present. This legislation is an important step forward in recognizing the health risks associated with exposure to cigarette smoke, and in enhancing preventive health for youngsters. At the same time, dependent smokers light up to satisfy the cravings linked to nicotine, and they are most likely to do so when in stressful situations, according to a large body of research and consumer surveys. There are a number of options available to assist adults driving cars with children present, particularly when in heavy traffic or when traveling over longer distances. Among those options, reduced-toxin, smoke-free products can be helpful to adult dependent smokers in such situations. Star Scientific’s dissolvable smokeless tobacco products, Ariva® and Stonewall®, provide a satisfying alternative to cigarettes, and also have the lowest TSNA (tobacco specific nitrosamine) levels – the major group of cancer-causing agents in tobacco – available anywhere. While the obvious best choice is to avoid using tobacco, the most dangerous form of tobacco use occurs when the highly toxic smoke from cigarettes is inhaled into the lungs. When tobacco is burned more than 4000 chemical compounds are formed, and at least 60 of those compounds are cancer-causing. Cigarette smoke, in an enclosed compartment such as an automobile, impacts not only the smoker but also any other person in that compartment. Because smokeless tobacco is not burned, there is no secondhand smoke. It also contains far fewer toxins, and among them, TSNAs are the major group of cancer-causing agents. An article published in the December, 2007 issue of The American Journal of Preventive Medicine illustrated that the TSNA levels in Ariva® and Stonewall® were the lowest observed among a variety of smokeless tobacco products manufactured both in the United States and abroad. The article also discussed the importance of the uptake of TSNA in the human body. The authors concluded that the uptake of TSNAs in humans, measured by levels of the biomarker NNAL, was roughly the same for Ariva® and Stonewall® as the uptake level for the nicotine replacement lozenge that was studied. More information can be found at http://www.dissolvabletobacco.com Star Scientific applauds Maine for its proactive stand on this issue. These actions prevent youngsters from being exposed to cigarettes and their highly toxic properties, which addresses both preventive health and behavior modeling. Star believes that the company’s very–low TSNA dissolvable tobacco products provide an alternative that fits within a broad harm-reduction approach to tobacco. The company also believes that the future of tobacco lies in meeting the concerns of adult dependent smokers, not in recruiting another generation of smokers. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company has tried, whenever possible, to identify these forward-looking statements using words such as "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "expects", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions. These statements reflect the Company's current beliefs and are based upon information currently available to it. Accordingly, such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such statements. These risks, uncertainties and contingencies include, without limitation, the challenges inherent in new product development initiatives, particularly in the smokeless tobacco area, the uncertainties inherent in the progress of scientific research, the Company's ability to raise additional capital in the future necessary to maintain its business, potential disputes concerning the Company's intellectual property, risks associated with litigation regarding such intellectual property, potential delays in obtaining any necessary government approvals of the Company's low-TSNA tobacco products, market acceptance of the Company's new smokeless tobacco products, competition from companies with greater resources than the Company, the Company's decision not to join the Master Settlement Agreement ("MSA"), the effect of state statutes adopted under the MSA, and the Company's dependence on key employees and on its strategic relationships with Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation in light of its combination with RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, Inc. The impact of potential litigation, if initiated against or by individual states that have adopted the MSA, could be materially adverse to the Company. See additional discussion under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, as filed with the SEC on March 17, 2008, and other factors detailed from time to time in the Company's other filings with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or advise upon any such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. About Star Scientific Star Scientific is a technology-oriented tobacco company with a toxin reduction mission. It is engaged in the development of dissolvable smokeless tobacco products that deliver fewer carcinogenic toxins (principally tobacco specific nitrosamines, or TSNAs), through the utilization of the innovative StarCured® tobacco curing technology, and in sublicensing that technology to others. Star Scientific has a Corporate and Sales Office in Petersburg, VA, an Executive, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs office in Bethesda, MD, and manufacturing and tobacco processing facilities in Chase City, VA and in Petersburg, VA. See Star’s website at: http://www.starscientific.com