Daily Doc: PM, Jun 17, 1994: Philip Morris' 1994 'Sound Science Project'
Daily Doc: Philip Morris' 1994 "Sound Science Project"
Title: SOUND SCIENCE PROJECT AND EUROPEAN SEMINAR IN THE AUTUMN 940000
PM, Jun 17, 1994
Bates #: 2025493066/3069
August 2, 2000
We have already seen that the Philip Morris Tobacco Company made extensive use of scientific front groups to disseminate its own version of "information" to politicians and the public. Some examples have been "The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition" (TASSC) and "Associates for Research in Substance Enjoyment" (ARISE), which are are just two of these groups. As recently as 1994, however, Philip Morris was still engaging in this type of acitivity. Today's document shows Philip Morris using its public relations company, Burson Marsteller (BM), to organize yet another one of these "sound science" front groups to allow PM to favorably influence politicians and disseminate its own information about the health effects of its products in Europe. PM and BM worked to hide the extensive Philip Morris involvement in assembling the "Sound Science Project" of 1994. Even the scientists who were approached for the project were skeptical of tobacco industry (and specifically Philip Morris) involvement, as this document frankly notes:
"...some of the scientists have themselves raised the questions of relations to the tobacco industry as a critical issue...."BM also noted how disclosure of PM involvement could doom the entire plan:
"Please note that you must not use the outcome of ...the interviews with scientists in a Philip Morris approach to the identified scientists because that could distort and jeopardize the entire operation..."Moreover, BM worked to persuade companies other than Philip Morris to act co-sponsors of the "Sound Science Project," for, as they noted, if people detected that PM was the only sponsor of these seminars, the credibility of the scientists, and the entire project, would go out the window:
"...It is absolutely vital that we succeed in getting funding of the seminar from a broader group of sponsors than just PM...because otherwise we would not be able to ensure the credibility of the seminar in relation to the scientists. And if the seminar has not got that credibility, then outcomes of the meeting will not have great value."
CITATION
Title: SOUND SCIENCE PROJECT AND EUROPEAN SEMINAR IN THE AUTUMN 940000
Type of Document: Telex (a faxed memo)
Author: Stig Albinus, Burson-Marstellar Copenhagen Recipient: David Bushong, Matt Winokur (PM)
Date: 19940617
Company/Site: Philip Morris Tobacco Company document site: http://www.pmdocs.com/
Bates No. 2025493066/3069
Length: 4 pages
URL: http://www.pmdocs.com/getallimg.asp?DOCID=2025493066/3069
Found using search criteria: Paoletti, R (Director of Italian Pharmacology Institute)
QUOTES
Please note that you must not use the outcome of ...the interviews with scientists in a Philip Morris approach to the identified scientists because that could distort and jeopardize the entire operation...
The scientists do not seem to resist taking part in a network sponsored by the industry...However, some of the scientists have themselves raised the questions of relations to the tobacco industry as a critical issue....
...It is absolutely vital that we succeed in getting funding of the seminar from a broader group of sponsors than just PM...because otherwise we would not be able to ensure the credibility of the seminar in relation to the scientists. And if the seminar has not got that credibility, then outcomes of the meeting will not have great value.
This service is brought to you by the American Lung Association of Colorado ( http://www.alacolo.org/) and Smokescreen ( http://www.smokescreen.org)
To join Doc-Alert, go to http://tobaccodocuments.org/, scroll down to the bottom of the page, enter your email address in the box marked "Daily Document Newsletter," and click *subscribe.*
Visit the Daily Document Archives at http://www.smokescreen.org/list/viewmsgs.cfm?id=66, or, for quick and easy at-a-glance viewing, try Gene Borio's great new Daily Document Archive at http://www.tobacco.org/Documents/dd/dd.html
Anne Landman, Regional Program Coordinator
American Lung Association of Colorado, West Region Office
Grand Junction, CO
(970) 245-2120
afoxland@gj.net
***********************
Go To: Tobacco BBS HomePage / Resources Page / Health Page / Documents Page / Culture Page / Activism Page
***********************
END OF DOCUMENT