Some "Benefits" of Smoking Report No. Rd.1461 Unclassified

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Some "Benefits" of Smoking Report No. Rd.1461 Unclassified

Date: 26 Jan 1977
Length: 20 pages
650010741-650010760
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Abstract

This British American Tobacco (BAT) document from 1977 reviews human studies to try and find some benefits of smoking to the smoker. The report reveals some interesting insights, including that nicotine acts as a stimulant, that deprived smokers may have lower performance levels than non-smokers, that people smoke for weight control and to counteract the effects of other drugs, and that smokers have poorer mental health scores than nonsmokers. The "Discussion" section of the paper states,

"The 'benefits' of smoking indicated by vigilance studies are those that would be reasonably expected to follow from the role of nicotine as a stimulant..."

"It also seems likely that smokers (in their non-smoking state) may exhibit intrinsically lower levels of performance than non-smokers, and use smoke to equal, or sometimes exceed the performance levels of non-smokers."

In many instances, the paper refers to nicotine as a stimulant, and speculates that the nicotine's stimulating effect may counteract the depressing effect on smokers' inhaling carbon monoxide. In a section entitled "Counteracting the effects of other drugs," the paper says that people tend to smoke and drink together because alcohol (a depressant) and nicotine (a stimulant) counteract each other. The paper also makes the point that people use smoking as a means of weight control.

The paper was produced almost 20 years before the FDA proposed regulating nicotine as a drug.

Fields

Quotes

[from Page 8]

With regard to the role of nicotine in affecting levels of arousal, it seems worth pointing out that since carbon monoxide acts as a depressant, the two compounds probably act in opposite directions. For many cigarettes it is considered that the nicotine delivery will be sufficiently high for the effect of nicotine to predominate. However, there is the possibility that, for cigarettes with low nicotine deliveries, the effects of carbon monoxide will dominate. It seems unlikely that these could be considered to be beneficial...

SMOKING AND LEARNING

The effects of smoking on learning nonsense syllables have been studied by Andersson (19). Her studies suggest that smoking can have differential effects...Andersson pointed out that this result might be expected on the basis that nicotine is a stimulant...

...OTHER EFFECTS OF SMOKING

It has been pointed out that smokers are able to survive Parkinson's disease better than non-smokers...It is thought that the relevant action of nicotine is as a stimulant in the hippocampal region of the brain, causing an increase in the levels of dopamine....

...OTHER BENEFITS OF SMOKING

Pleasures associated with smoking:

Many smokers appear to derive pleasure from the habit: this might be of particular importance to smokers whose life-style or circumstances are such that pleasure cannot be readily obtained in other ways, e.g., in time of war. Relevant to this view are the theories that pleasure is derived from stimulation of the primitive parts of the brain, the so-called limbic system, and the suggestions that there exists within most human beings an innate drive "to develop techniques or to find mechanisms...[to] permit him temporarily to alter the state of his consciousness and thereby escape a world that seems all to humdrum..."

SMOKING and ANXIETY, Mental Health, etc.

Some thirty comparisons between smokers and non-smokers are listed in a review by Smith in which various aspects of mental health were considered. Slightly more than half the analyses show a significant association between smoking and some aspect of mental health. In all instances where a significant association was found the smokers had poorer mental health scores than did non-smokers.

It is a reasonable inference that the mental health of the smokers would be even worse if they were deprived of smoking...

Additional effects of smoking:

Weight control

An increase in weight occurs in some 70% of subjects who give up smoking (27). Some subjects find the resultant increase in weight (which is related to an increase in food intake) unacceptable and resume smoking. Arguably, this might be seen as a benefit of smoking.

Counteracting the effects of other drugs

Generally speaking, alcohol has a depressant effect as has marihuana...The effects of smoking will be in the opposite direction in that the effects of nicotine are frequently that of a stimulant; thus smoking may be used to counteract the effect of these depressants. It has been observed that smoking and drinking may frequently occur together, and a study by Myrsten has confirmed that smoking and drinking do act in opposite directions. Furthermore it has been reported by Ashton that nicotine is frequently co-administered with A9-tetrahydrocannabinol.

FUTURE WORK

...It is believed that the next step in work of this kind should be to investigate the effectiveness (in terms of performance in vigilance tasks) of cigarettes delivering different amounts of nicotine...

In the U.K., the Tobacco Research Council is studying the specific area of "social consequences of a sustained attack on smoking"...and this work may also be relevant in clarifying the role of smoking, particularly in alleviating some of the stresses of life.

Company

British American Tobacco

Author

Thornton, Ray E. (BAT GR&DC Smoking & Health Dept.)

Smoking & Health Department, Group Research and Development Centre, British-American Tobacco Co. Ltd. (BAT), UK (United Kingdom)

Recipient

Desiqueira, Cjp

Felton, David Geoff Dr. (Sr. Scientist for BATCo R&D '75-76)

Dr. Felton was senior scientist for the Research and Development Dept of British-American Tobacco Co. Ltd. from 1975 to 1976. Felton received a copy of "Project Wheat--Part 1" dated 7/10/75 and "Project Wheat--Part 2" dated 1/30/76 (Project Wheat 1&2).

Gibb, Robert "Rob" M. (ITC Attorney in Montreal CA)

Robert M. Gibb, Esq. was an attorney for Imperial Tobacco, LTD in Montreal, Canada, circa 1973-81

Green, Sydney James "Jim", Dr. (BATCo R&D Research Director, Southampton)

Senior Scientist for the Research and Development Dept. at British-American Tobacco Co. Ltd. in 1975. Deceased as of 1994 (G. Bell LT Waxman 5/16/94). Head of BAT research for 19 years and a member of the board of directors of BAT (Source 3/24/94). Green received a copy of Project Wheat--Part 1 dated 7/1/75 and Project Wheat--Part 2 dated 183076 (Project Wheat 1&2).

Hughes, Ivor Wallace, Dr. (CEO Brown & Williamson, TI Executive Committee)

Ivor Wallace Hughes was The Chief Executive Officer of Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company in 1983, also served on the Tobacco Institute Executive Committee in 1983 and was CTR Director 1/28/83.

Kruszynski, A.J. (BAT Attorney c. 1975-76)

Kruszynski was a attorney for the British-American Tobacco Co. Ltd. in 1975-76. A.J. Kruszynski, Esq., received a copy of Project Wheat-Part 1 dated 7/10/75 and Project Wheat-Part 2 dated 1/30/76 (Project Wheat 1&2).

Nicholls, R.G., Esq. (BAT Attorney 1975-76)

Nicholls was a attorney for British-American Tobacco Co. Ltd. in 1975-76. R. G. Nicholls, Esq. received copy of "Project Wheat-Part 1 dated 7/10/75 and Project Wheat-Part 2 dated 1/30/76 (Project Wheat 1&2).

Sanford, Robert A. (BW RD&E VP, Research Director)

Seehofer, F.

Sottorf, H. E. (BATCo Scientist, Germany, 1975)

H. Sottorf was a Scientist at Batco in 1975. (Source: NM Tobacco Companies Personnel List)

Wade, R. S. (BW R&D Director)

R. S. Wade is a former Research & Development director for Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation. Wade is deceased as of 1994 (G. Bell LT Waxman 5/16/94). Attorney for British-American Tobacco Co. Ltd. (1975-76); "R. S. Wade, Esq." received copy of "Project Wheat--Part 1" dated 7/10/75 and "Project Wheat--Part 2" dated 1/30/76 (Project Wheat 1&2).

Region

United Kingdom

United States

Litigation

10004026

10004026 01968

10004042 01517

10004013 01517

10004027 02742

Named Person

Thornton, R.E.

Tolman

Warburton/Univ Reading

Watson

Wesnes/Univ Reading

Wood, D.J.

X/Reading Univ, U.K.

X/Tobacco Research Council

X/Univ Cambridge

X/Renault Car

X/Philip Morris

Andersson

Ashton

Bancroft

Colquhoun

Comer

Dekock

Dunn

Elgerlot

Eysenck

Frankenhauser/Stockholm Univ

Guillerm, R.

Hartemann

Heimstra

Horvath/Univ Melbourne

Izard

Johansson/Stockholm Univ

Johnson, R.R.

Law

Miesner

Mills, I./Univ Cambridge

Myrsten/Stockholm Univ

Myrsten

Oldman

Parkinson

Post/Stockholm Univ

Russell, M./Austin Hospital

Russell, Mah

Scoughton

Stargis

Tarriere

Type

REPT, REPORT, OTHER

REPORT

Subject

Document Images

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26.i.1977 SOUTHAMPTON ENGLAND BRITISH - AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY LIMITED

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f SOME "BZNVYrTS" 0TM S~IOKING lhEPORT NO. RD.1461 UNCLASSIFIED 26.1.1977 AUUIIOR: ~.E, Thcrntou ISSUED BY: D,J. Vood PROJECT JOB NO: 13,01.I0 DI STr~IBUT ION: Dr. ~,J. Green Dr. ~.A. Sanford R.M. Gibb, Esq. R.S. I#adc~ Esq. K.G. Nicho[!s, Esq, Hart H. Sottmrf Dr. F, S~ehcf~r A,J, K~'uszyns~i, Esq. Dr, C.JP~ de ~iquelra D~, D.C, F~ICu~L Library Copy No, i, 2, 3, 4 Pr '~ 6, 7 12, 13 i4 15 ]6 17 18 i9, 20 ¢n .j

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~ET/CAL/~6J Group Eesearch & Development Centre, Britls~-American Tobacco Co. Ltd.~ 26th January 197Y SOME "BENEFITS1~ OF S~KING (Report ~o* P~D.]46] UncJassiEied) This re~ort is intended to he a selective, but reasonably comprehensive, revie~ of these effecns 01 ~oking ~hich miglt be considered 1'beneficial" to LII~ s~lokel. There hav~ been r~la~ive~y few ~t~die~ r~l~ted to possihl~ "beneflts'r ~f smoking, an~ most o~ these refec to i~l~defincd effects of smoking, reported ~ubjectively. How~v~1 ~ ~lumh~T o~ o~j~_iv~ s~dde8 [lav~ i~dic~ted £hat irlp~ov~ment~ in p~rforma~ce {in laboratory task~ can occur a~ a result c£ ~moking, ~ii~ there i~ every reason ~o believe ~hat thsse ~ff~t~ ~Iso occilr i:] real-life siLua~ions. Psychological "benefits'~ can also occur~ b~t ~he~e are l~=¢~ri~y r~ore ~ifflcult to ~]er~o~str~£e. Add[tioual studi~ are b~in~ made at a nu~ib~r ~f laboratories throughout the ~or!d, e.g, a~ Re~ding University, U.K., su?ported by tlle T~b~cuu P~arcl: ~t~u~cil. L~ I his sLud~ it i~ humid Lu ~xami11~ cigarcttcs ~ellvcring diffcr~r.t amounts of nicotin~ u$iug p~rformc~cc in tasks ns the criterion :I£ their e~F~r~v~l~. ~D

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-2-

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~3- description WaS obtained after a s~arch oi the wore obvious so1~rces of ~i~era~ure ~leva~t to smoking a~d also after discu~ion~ With some of the ;corkers in this area. These tests are listed in histor~ca! order • ant by the workers' names. i. Tarrlere and ~artemann, 196&~ (I) This study Waa c~rried out for ~h~ Renault Ca~ Company Who ~a~¢ d~hating wh~ther or not to allow smoking {n their factories. A panel of 31 subjects vas ~sed, subdivided as iollo~s: I:l£roYerh $mu~ufs I~trovert ~o~-s~o~r$ Extr(~ eft ~£okers ~xtrov~r~ ~o~-~mokGrs 9 suhjecLs 6 eubjec;s 9 subjects 7 subjects ~he res~l~s shQw~d £hat s~0kers taad~ fewer laistakea th6~ ~o~-sm3kers i~ a vigilsnce tack, while introverts performed better than extroverts (i.e. introvert s~ohers > extrovert smokers = inzrovert non-smokers > ~eimstra~ Banezoft and DeKock, 1967 (2) During a ilrofollged 6-hour siNlulate~ drlv{~g ta~h, deprived smoker~ made ~ore tracking and vigilanae errors than &mok(!rs who were allowed to smoke~ ~ut 5mcknr8 who W~I:O ailowdd £0 SillOh@ did not do better thau non-smokers. 3. Ashton and Watson, ]970 (3) The effecns of smoking On simulated driving performance were :~tIl~ad- ~fhlm sleo]~cr~ were slnoking a cigaret:e~ some of cheiz ~action ti~eg %;ere lon~dr ~([ other& shorter than tho~e of non-smokers, The differences disappaere~ ~llan fhe ~mo~cFS Wolfe i~ot smol<in~.

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-4~ 4. Myr.st~n~Fos~ ~anl~enhauser a~dJahanBson, S~ec~holm University, (1971-1975) The~e are a nu~r o~ studies by the~e workers: three are ~pecifi~a~[y ~e£~L~d L~ hL Lhi~ ~u~£. In a sLudy r~p~Jrted in 1972 (4), performance [~ a visual vdgil~ncz was considered ~o be improved ~y ~moki~g four cigaret~ (oi! r~iatiq~ly high nieoti~ d~livery, 2.2 ~g). E~w~ver ~ performance was assessed hy reaction time, ~d a~ onlz six sub~cLs ~ere ~d ~T; th~ Le~ th~ resulL~ oE £h[~ ~tudy are ~ot very co~cl~8ive~ Earlie~ studle~ (~) had sho~n that the perfor~uc~ of ~aker~ b~comes p~ng~s~ve]y ~l:or ~lh~n they ar~ ~epr[v~ of s~oking~ ~hil~ ~he 1975 study (6) is one of ~he hes~ vigilance sLudies c~rried ou~ so f~lr. A panel of 16 smoker~ ~as e~p~cyed, B of whom expressed a need ~o sn~k~ in low arqusal si~ua~ion~ (~.g. bozedom) an~ 8 of whom na~mally ~m~kcd in high ~ro~s~l s{t~ti~ (e.Z. anxiety or ex~!~m~n~). Th~ p~n~] wn~ ~xami~ed ~nde~ snaking and n()~-sma~ing condltions ~n ~ low ~rousal si~uatiou, pe~f~r~in~ a 5orlng vigilance ta~ and in a high arousal ~dtu~tlon per£o~m[n~ a complex rash involvin~ colou~ed l~ghts a~ a~61t~ry signals. In the high arousal sit~atiou three 20 minut~ ~es~s~ each ~on~risfng 1080 ~Li~li~ ~e~ ~mlnister~l. The t~o ~roups reacted ~iffereaLly to ~moking in the tw~ situatlo~s. affected by smokin:: in the low arousal s[t~u~ion only. C0nverselN, perfo~111ailge and w~ll-belng of the "high arous~l" s~ok~rs ~er~ e~%ha~ed by smd~ing ~n ~he high arcu~al ~ict~ation 0nly. 5. 'ro~m~n, 1975 (7) ~7~ Using a visu~1 vigil~nze ~sk which had ~omc similarities with ~

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-5- 6. Guille=m, 1975%_ (8~ It is u~derstood from Dr. k. Guiller~ that he ~a~ used a sophisticated vlgilanc~ ~a~k (the pre~islon with which a ~bj~ct drives a c~ a~u~g • wklt~ lin~ around the centre ~£ a racing ~irz~it, a~ ~ steady moderate speed, is measured) hut no resl~]ts fo~ ~h~ e~r~ ~f sm~rg ~v~ ye~ been pubiisaed. I~ i~ understood from W.J* Dunn Int. that Philip ~orri~ have been unabl~ £o demonstrate any differences in ~he behaviour of ~mokers and non~s~okers in vigilance tasks. ~rther details ci tha ta~ks or preclse r~s~its ar~ ~o~ avail~Sle. 8. Scou~h~on, 1975 (IO) Smoking has b~ shoull 50 il~ve arl effect on ~c~ptio~ of ~¥eriphe~al visual information". Analysis of resul~s obtained in a ~ovemcnt detection ta~k (of a ~arg¢~) i~dlcated ~ker~ to b~ superior in their ~billty to datect non~m~v~men~ of the target~ ~ligh ni~otlne (2,5 ~) ~m~ker~ w~re significantly be~te~ able to detect zero m~v~menL trials than either low nicotine or deprived s~okers, 9. ~r~urLon ~nd We~ne~ 1075/6 (~I) usin~ ~mall p~nel~ (typically L2 ~ts, e~th~r university ~tuden~s or local ho~Jve~) ~rburton ~nd I~esnas nave studied ~he effects o~ smoking and ~ic0~in~ adlninis~ra~io~ on p~rformance i~ five audio and th~se tn~l~ ~ the re~it o~ ~mo~ng~ or ~fter ~dmlni~t~ati~ of n~ot[ne. ~ Of ~on~der~hle t!lec~etic~] i~terest is the de~o~straLio~, ~o~ib[~ fo~ ~D ~he flrs~ ~i~e~ ~h&~ gh~ porfo~ce Of ~D!I--SNOk~rS irlc~eased ~f~r ~he

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-7-

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-8- With regard to the role of nicotine in aXfL.ctli!g levels of arousal, i~ see~s w~rth polnti~g 0~ that sln~e ~a~bo~ monoxide a~s a~ a depr~s~a~t~ ~h~ t~ ¢ompound~ ~obab!y a¢~ ~n opposi~ directions, ro~ many cigarettes iL ~ eo~{d~red ~h~t th~ n~cot~e d~l~v~ry ~ill ~e ~uffi~iently high fo~ the effects of nicot~ to ~r~do:ai~aLe. Howeve~ there is the po~sibili~y ~lat~ ful uigai~tt~s with low nicotine deli~erie~ ~he effects of ~arbo~ monoxide will don~ir~e. It seems nnllkaly that these a~uld he considered to b~ benef~ci~1. (b) ~MDKING AND ~AR~ING The effeo~ of smoking on learnin~ nonsense syllables h~ve h~en ~tudicd ~y Ander3~o~ (19). Ker s~udi~ sugges~ that ~moki~g can hav~ ~y ~ long~r tori~ iil~p~ve~!~n~. Ander~son pointe~ ou~ tha~ thl~ resulL mlglLL be ~x~cted on tlle ~a~i~ LI~ ~icuti~L~ i~ a ~ii~ula,iL buL ~L ~Lii~ more likely that h~ res~l~ w~re ~ ~pe~ifi¢ example of ~ ~ -shaped relation~hi~ b~tween arousal a~d learning. As there is a p~ucicy of puSl~she~ information on human s~udie~, it shou!d ~ noted teat ~he~ ~r~ ~ume~ou~ ~imal ~tudi~ ~hi~[l d~L~o~i~iL~ that ~icotlne ~lllt~te~ l~arning. (~) SMOKING AND AGG~ESSICN One study i~ this ~r~a has been ~aL~orned by Dunn (20). ~ro~s of smoker~ de~rlved ~m~ker~ and non-~mo~re pa~ tlci~t~d in a laboratory ~ i~ ~hlc~ ~hey ~e~ che~ted to the ~nt that ~he p~rt~eipant~ became very sg~ressive. (~ ~n Al~hough all three g~oJps beca~Le equally ag~re~si'~e~ th~ smoking

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