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BMJ 2000;321:1074-1076 ( 28 October )
Jump to full article: British Medical Journal, 2000-10-28
Intro: Given the harm that can be done by just one distorted study coming out in print, it is the view of the Cancer Research Campaign that editorial boards of respected journals have an obligation to take a lead and set the ethical standard. Some journals, for example, those of the American Lung Association and the American Thoracic Society, and the British Journal of Cancer, have already taken the decision not to publish papers funded by the tobacco industry.
The "tip of the iceberg" principle does not apply here: although scientists must always be vigilant about potential pressure on them from corporate sponsors of research, the tobacco industry is unique in the scale and range of its dishonest and manipulative tactics. This debate goes beyond the hallowed principles of scientific freedom: the tobacco industry has lost all claim to any such high mindedness. Until it reneges on the promotion and defence of a product causing so much misery worldwide, its funds can have no place in reputable institutions or publications.---Jean King
Censorship is an easy way to deal with difficult issues. In a morally complex world, silencing the voice of those we distrust is simpler than grappling for the truth.
Some biomedical journals, such as the Journal of Health Psychology and the two journals of the American Thoracic Society, will not publish research papers funded by the tobacco industry. 1 2 But does this kind of censorship serve the interests of science, journalism, or a free society? We believe not.
The BMJ chooses papers for publication on the basis of scientific merit, originality, and public health importance, not on their source of funding. We will not impose a blanket ban on research papers from authors funded by any profit making industry. King cites three main reasons why we should. We will firstly respond to her concerns, before outlining the BMJ 's policy. . . .
We commend the Cancer Research Campaign for its firm stand against tobacco. However, if we followed its advice to censor the industry's research findings, then we would be adopting the same kind of tactics as the industry itself. We are not alone among journals in adopting a policy of transparency and disclosure rather than prohibition. Even Tobacco Control is willing to publish industry sponsored papers, provided that the links are made explicit (S Chapman, personal communication). The BMJ rarely publishes work funded by the tobacco industry, mainly because we don't receive many submissions. This is in contrast to the huge amount of data in its pages that show cigarettes' lethal effects. Journal editors should fight the tobacco industry "not with censorship but with the abundant evidence on the serious harm that its product inflicts."9---Gavin Yamey, Richard Smith
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