Daily Doc: PM, Jun 15, 1988: A Voice of Honesty within the Industry
Daily Doc: A Voice of Honesty within the Industry
Title: Joint Meeting on ETS - London, England
PM, Jun 15, 1988
Bates #: 2021548222-2021548235
January 19, 2000
This document reveals a pivotal moment in 1988 when members of the global tobacco industry came together to talk about the difficulties they faced regarding the issue of envirnmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Thanks to a rare voice of reason from within their ranks, they had an opportunity at this moment to decide between staying their present course of global deception on ETS, or deciding to deal with the issue honestly and realistically. It isn't often you get to see a tobacco industry scientist stand up to the rest of the industry and urge them to deal with reality, but we see it in this document.
These are privileged and confidential minutes of a joint industry meeting held in London in 1988. Representatives of the European, Japanese, Canadian, the American and United Kingdom tobacco companies were present.
Of particular interest are the statements of German cigarette industry scientist, Dr Adlkofer, who questioned the industry's creation of it's own "marketable science." In a stunning departure from typical industry plotting, Dr. Adlkofer stated his view that what the industry was really seeking was "good public relations material, not good science." Dr. Adlkofer further said that "real science" would be "essential if the industry was to prevail on the ETS issue." Admirably, Dr. Adlkofer proved to be a voice of honesty from within the industry. According to these minutes, Dr. Adlkofer "refused to endorse a situation in which scientific research is guided by public relations needs." Moreover, Dr. Adlkofer questioned the wisdom of the industry's present course on ETS. He urged the industry instead to concentrate on identifying a threshold level for risk of ETS exposure. This controversial suggestion instantly caused a flurry of "widespread disagreement" among the meeting's participants. Dr. Boyce of British American Tobacco (BAT) said that the "no threshold" argument would "automatically indict active smoking." Thomas Osdene of Philip Morris suggested that "a threshold level could be set, but that the threshold not be quantified." Another attendee, Mr. Westcott, said that setting such a limit would be "dangerous" because it would provide "a priori proof of causation for anti-smoking advocates,and would "indict active smoking." John Rupp, of the U.S. tobacco industry's law firm Covington and Burling, further went on to say that "the industry should continue to emphasize the lack of substantive proof of causation." To this Adlkofer responded, "Science cannot propel the industry any further on the ETS issue unless it is able to say that not one person has died from exposure to ETS." There was nothing further added in discussion of this landmark statement.
It appears that Mr. Rupp's recommendation was pivotal, as the industry continued to follow its path of widespread deception on the issue of secondhand smoke.
The rest of the document is full of descriptions of the industry's existing path of global deceit on the ETS issue.
The representative of the Japanese tobacco industry said that the public and medical professions "must be better informed on ETS research," adding that,
"in providing this information, the industry must be inconspicuous. Otherwise, he argued, the public will suspect the authenticity of the information. He recommended the use of third parties to convey the industry's message."The Canadian tobacco industry representative indicated their awareness that there was almost total public support in their country for regulation of smoking. He "reported that 85-90% of Canadians, both smokers and non-smokers, are not against smoking regulation." Despite this acknowledgement, he continued that a priority of the Canadian tobacco industry was "to underwrite the Smoker's Freedom Society, a group that publicly represents smokers' interests and is separate from the tobacco industry," showing that the Canadian tobacco industry intended to create and fund a group to oppose smoking regulations where there normally would be none, and that they intended to give it the appearance of being separate from their industry. The Canadian representative further stated that an industry priority was "to develop labor group defenses to smoking regulations" showing that the tobacco industry, not labor unions, was the genesis of "labor union" argumentation against restricting smoking in the workplace.
This entire document is worth a read. It's only 14 pages and it's clearly printed.
CITATION
Title: Joint Meeting on ETS - London, England
Type of Document: Memorandum, Privileged and Confidential Attorney Work Product
Author Hoel, D
Recipient: Newman, FS
Date: 19880615
Site: Tobacco Documents Online, (Bliley set) http://www.tobaccodocuments.org/
Page Count 14
Bates No. 2021548222-2021548235
URL: http://www.tobaccodocuments.org/view.cfm?docid=23706&source=BLILEY&ShowImages=yes
Litigation Usage: None yet
Search Criteria: "relations and work product" on the www.tobaccodocuments.org site
QUOTES
The Industry Interface Meeting on ETS (hereinafter "joint meeting") was held on June 17, 1988 at the St. James Court Hotel in London...
...Professor Adlkofer of the Verband der Cigarettenindustrie reported that anti-smoking groups have become increasingly active in Europe, particularly with regard to ETS....
...John Rupp of Covington and Burling reported that the present tone of the ETS debate in the United States is negative...According to Mr. Rupp, the greatest threat to public smoking is not legislation, but rather social attitude...
...Dr. Ichinose, of Japan Tobacco Incorporated (JTI), speaking through a translator, reported that four government ministries have become involved with ETS-related issues...In addition to these activities at the national level, local governments have begun distributing pamphlets on the alleged hazards of tobacco smoke...
...In the United Kingdom, Andrew Nelmes of Gallaher Limited reported that efforts to restrict smoking have been focused on the workplace and public facilities...Because the industry assisted [England's Department of Health and Social Security's Independent Scientific Committee] in preparation of its Fourth Report, the industry was able to modify the overall tone of the report...
Dr. Dunn of Imperial Tobacco Limited, the Canadian representative, reported that the situation in his country is "extreme" because many elements of society are calling for restrictions on smoking. Anti-smoking forced in Canada are well-organized and are effectively employing information gathered from around the world. Also, many health professionals are calling for smoking restrictions...
Don Hoel summarized the first session by noting that anti-smoking activities are occurring in all of the represented areas. These activities are not only generated locally, but also by international organizations such as the World Health Organization, which has publicly stated that a causal link between ETS and human disease has been conclusively established...
INDUSTRY RESEARCH AND OBJECTIVES
A. EEC
Dr. Klus reported that several scientists were able to successfully challenge the anti-smoking views expressed at [an Austrian] conference...
...Following the EEC presentation, Professor Adlkofer provided the participants with his views, and presumably the view of his colleagues, on the future direction of industry research. According to Dr. Adlkofer, the existing science demands that the industry recognize that possible health risks from ETS exist because those risks cannot be disproved. As a result, Adlkofer advocates that research be focused on determining the threshold level of adverse effects from environmental tobacco smoke, and that fewer resources be expended on epidemiological studies.
United Kingdom
Andrew Nelmes outlined the UK strategy on ETS. That strategy is made of three components: (1) challenging unfounded reports linking ETS and human disease, (2) placing ETS in the proper perspective with regard to overall air quality and (3) disassociating the public's annoyance with ETS from alleged health effects. By this strategy, TAC hopes to (1) create "marketable" science, (2) deflect criticism of ETS and (3) to place the industry in the most favorable position possible.
...Following the UK presentation, Professor Adlkofer questioned the use of the term "marketable science." Andrew Nelmes defined this term as unflawed scientific studies whose objectives are understandable to laymen and are thus useful in public relations efforts. Professor Adlkofer responded that what Nelmes wanted was good public relations material, not good science. ...Adlkofer, who refused to retreat from his original position, maintained that "real" and "basic" science is essential if the industry is to prevail on the ETS issue...
UNITED STATES
John Lyons, of the Tobacco Institute, began his presentation by expressing his approval for the "marketable science" concepts. He then outlined the legislative, legal and public relations endeavors of the TI. He described these programs as "holding actions" until science adequately counters the results of the 1986 Surgeon General's Report. That report has emboldened anti-smoking activists in the U.S. and has had a marked effect on the public generally. Presently, 49% of Americans object to ETS even if it has no effect on health...
UNITED KINGDOM
According to Dr. Thornton of BAT, there is a shortage of science on the ETS issue in the United Kingdom, and the science that does exist is drawing a hostile response. ETS conferences may help rectify this situation, but only if the proper "mix of people" attend and present research...
...TAC has employed a number of approaches in an attempt to change public opinion on ETS. Although both the "courtesy" and "freedom of choice" approaches have been unsuccessful, focusing on the extremism of anti-smokers has met with some success... Turner reiterated the need for "communicable science" [but] Dr. Adlkofer...refused to endorse a situation in which scientific research is guided by public relations needs.
EEC
Dr. Adlkofer deviated from the agenda and discussed the direction of ETS research. According to Adlkofer, analytical breakthroughs are unlikely in the ETS area if research continues on its present course. Conventional epidemiology has provided few benefits to the industry. A focus is now needed on "modern epidemiology" and human exposure studies, as well as further exploration of the alleged mechanisms of effect. He also called for the identification of a threshold level for risk...
Dr. Adlkofer's suggestion created widespread disagreement among the meeting's participants. Dr. Westcott stated that setting a threshold is dangerous because it provides a priori proof of causation for anti-smoking advocates. Mr. Rupp agreed, stating that an acceptable threshold for ETS may nevertheless indict active smoking. Rupp then engaged in a defense of existing scientific undertakings.
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