Tobacco Documents Online

MINUTES OF SOSAS ~ETING ON APRIL 20t 1978 Max Crohn reported on the meeting of the Committee of Counsel Subcommittee dealing with the public smoking issue which was held in Washington on April 14. He advised that it was the unanimous view of the Tobacco Institute Staff and their outside advisors, including Messrs. Cook, Henderson and Morgan, that a hearing before a Congressional Committee on public smoking would at this time be a mistake. Proposed government restrictions on smoking in the workplace has not as yet excited the Federal Employees Union and even Congress- men friendly to tobacco are not as yet concerned. Further- more, it was reported that tobacco state congressmen want to keep the~health issue at a ver_~y low key and would not want to do ah-~t-h-i-ng to raise it a~ th~s time. Fina~lly,, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to identify an appropriate subcommittee before which the issue could be brought and a fair hearing obtained. ~._l_t__wa~ emphasize_d_to_ the %n_stitute' s staff that an urgent need existed to stem the segregation steps being taken In varlous parts of the federal ~-~ta~IX-S-h~e-n-~s-~t--th-e--~instance 0~f-HEW. It was obser-~d--fha-g~if--se-gre-g-atlon-is-achieved at the federal level, there is little hope for preventing similar action from being taken in the states and localities. Horace Kornegay instructed the Institute's staff to prepare an anti-segregation action plan for consideration by the Subcommittee at its next meeting on May 16. The plan would include an effort to get the Government Services Administration involved including, perhaps, a hearing at GSA which would address the need for and cost of segregation at the federal level. Contacts will be made with the trade unions to raise their level of concern and seek their support. Charles Morgan shall contact farmer'~ organizations in the Southeast and discuss with them common problems the agricultural community has had to the attitude and positions of Secretary Califano. A report was given by Messrs. Mills and Panzer regarding a meeting with the American Enterprise Institute on the public smoking issue. It is possible that AEI would include the issue in one of its monthly TV debate programs which are made available to broadcasters. AEI might also sponsor a symposium, although a lot more work needs to be done on this possibility.

- 2 - The general consensus of the Subcommittee is that a university sponsored symposium would be very desirable. It should be held in the United States at a recognized institution no later than September 1978. Don Hoel was requested to contact Washington University in St. Louis and UCLA to determine whether there is a chance that one of them might host such an activity. Subsequent to the meeting in Washington, the possibility of holding a seminar at Harvard was discussed with Bill Shinn. Bill felt that Dr. Huber might be receptive to the idea, but suggested that the issue not be raised with him until after the question of funding of the animal facilities at Harvard is resolved. Pursuant to a suggestion by Jim Peterson at the SOSAS meeting, Don Hoel has now been asked to consider other universities which might host a symposium and to rank them in • order of their desirability. Desirability would include the political climate of the community in which the school is located, since it can be anticipated that a public smoking forum would not be well received in certain parts of the country. Don was also asked to prepare an agenda for a symposium and to work with Ed Jacob in all aspects of the project. A full report will be provided the Subcommittee at its meeting on May 16. At the SOSAS review, Charles Tucker gave a report of a meeting he and Jim Dowdell attended at the Tobacco Institute where an update was given regarding the California Initiative, the decision of the New Jersey Public Health Council and the segregation bill pending in New York. The Institute's staff gave a full report on these issues at the spring meeting held on April 21 in New York. Charles Tucker was asked to determine the resources available in the Company to meet the "cost of smoking" issue Secretary Califano has raised in his communications to the Fortune 500, to state governors, etc. cc: Messrs. F. H. Christopher~ Dennis Durden C. A. Tucker J. R. Peterson Ron Sustana