Abstract
This 1989 Philip Morris (PM) interoffice memo shows PM's Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Andrew Whist, plotting to organize a tightly controlled, tobacco industry-financed "scientific conference" about secondhand smoke. The purpose of the conference was to "neutralize two reports that are scheduled to be released [about environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)]: an ETS risk assessment that is being prepared by EPA and a detailed assessment of ETS health effects under preparattion at Rockefeller University."
The reason for hastily organizing the conference:
"The EPA and Spitzer reports would cause substantial damage unless they are somehow countered."
PM's plan was to stock the conference with scientists who were either already industry consultants or who espoused the company's views on ETS (e.g., that "more research is needed"). Whist also planned to keep the conference "both closed and private until the release, shortly after the conference of a monograph summarizing the proceedings." He needed to "make sure that the publisher" the company selected for the post-conference monograph"is prepared to guarantee an almost unprecedented quick turnaround on the symposium monograph," and "mak[e] sure that we reach the appropriate audiences in just the right way before the EPA and Spitzer reports are released."
This memo was copied to then-Director of PM Geoffrey Bible, who later became the company's Chief Executive Officer.
This document shows Philip Morris actively working to counteract the conclusions of legitimate scientific reports on secondhand smoke.
Fields
- Quotes
What we have been planning over the past several days
is a major international symposium which would be both
closed and private until the release, shortly after the
symposium, of a monograph summarizing the proceedings.
Our goal, of course, is to produce an impressive
document that would have the potential of neutralizing
two reports that are scheduled to be released near the
end of this year -- an ETS risk assessment that is
being prepared by EPA and a detailed assessment of ETS
health effects under preparation at Rockefeller
University...The EPA and Spitzer reports would cause
substantial damage unless they are somehow countered.
...[W]e plan to select a keynote presenter for each of the major ETS health effects issues. The keynote presentations would open by describing what is known
and not known about ETS and various health effects--
for example, nonsmoker lung cancer. They would offer
recommendations concerning research that should be
undertaken to answer the as-yet unanswered questions.
Such presentations should serve two related purposes:
first, underscore the extent to which claims currently
being made about ETS are unwarranted and, second, make
a positive contribution to those who are prepared to
approach the ETS issue objectively, by charting the
course of future research.
...If we are able ultimately to get 60 or 65
scientists to participate, the cost (not including
publishing costs) should be in the neighborhood of
$450,000 to $500,000 -- a projection that would be
substantially below the cost of both the EPA and
Spitzer projects...[W]e therefore would recommend that
RJR, and perhaps the TI in the United States, be asked
to bear a portion of the symposium's cost. Specifically,
we would suggest that PM, RJR and the TI each be asked
to shoulder one-third of the symposium's cost...
...we need to make sure that the publisher we select is
prepared to guarantee an almost unprecedented quick
turnaround on the symposium monograph. I intend to
talk to. Leon Hertz about this once I get the green
light from you.
...We also need to think further about the best way of
distributing the monograph, making sure that we reach
the appropriate audiences in just the right way before
the EPA and Spitzer reports are released. These are
not mere details, but of fundamental importance to the
entire enterprise.
- Company
- Philip Morris International
- Author
- Whist, Andrew (PM External Affairs Sr. VP)
Served as Senior Vice President of External Affairs for Philip Morris, Inc. in 1986 and again from 1992 to 1993.
- Recipient
- Murray, R. William "Bill" (PM Pres. & CEO, PM Companies Inc.)
President and Chief Operating Officer, Philip Morris Companies Inc., USA. Served on Board of Directors for PM from 1987-89. Vice Chairman of Philip Morris Companies in 1990. Australian.Was President and CEO in 1992; Chairman 1994.
RegionUnited States
TypeMEMO, MEMORANDUM
LIST, LIST
LitigationStmn/Produced
Named PersonWitorsch, Philip, M.D. (ETS George Washington U., Industry "expert witness")Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C., USA. Managing Principal, International Center for Toxicology and Medicine, Rockville, MD. Took as much as $60,000 from the tobacco industry between 1985 and 1995 to claim publicly there was no link between ETS and cancer.
Armitage, Alan K. (Pharmacologist, ETS, Tobacco industry consultant)1994 Wrote book on ETS for industry. Used by industry to discuss the proposed mechanics of effect of bioloigcal plausibility of ETS contribution to cardiovascular disease. Proposed consultant to comment on Federal OSHA proposal on workplace smoking. Worked at Hazleton Laboratory in UK.
Atteslander, Peter (PM Corporate Services)
Baconshone
Baettig
Beckleke
Billings, David M (Attorney, Covington & Burling)
Boiteau
Brown
Butler
Cerioli, Angelo (PM ETS Consultant, Laboratorio Istoconsult (Italy))1995 Instrumental in contacting IARC scientists regarding IARC 1998 ETS monograph.
DiNardi, Salvatore R. (CTR Special Projects, U of Mass., Health Sciences School)
Ecobichon, D.
Ely, C.
Faccini
Feuer
Field
Gardiner
Ginevan, Michael (ETS Advisory Group)1998
Go
Goodfellow
Gorrod, John (industry consultant)1994 Used by industry to discuss pharacokinetic model.Proposed consultant to comment on Federal OSHA proposal on workplace smoking.
Halliwell
Hertz, L.
Husting
Idle
Kentner
Kessler
Kilpatrick
Kim
Kirk
Kismeyer
Layard
Lee
Leslie
Levy
Liao
Lister, Charles (Lawyer, Covington & Burling, UK (United Kingdom))Tobacco Industry Lawyer for firm Covington & Burling (international law firm). Lister was based in London and worked on the ETS International Consultant Program.
Lojacono
Malmfors, Torbjorn
Mikkaelson
Moscandreas
Neurath, George (Chemist, Hamburg, Germany 1989)Listed as one of the tobacco industry's "whitecoats" (consulting scientists) on secondhand smoke (Derived from Ness, Motely PM Bates No. 2023034933/4946, a memo from Andrew Whist to R.W. Murray listing current scientists in use in project).
Nichol
Peery
Reasor
Reverente
Reynolds
Roe, Francis J. C. (Consultant in pathology for the Tobacco Research Committee)F.J.C. Roe was a Consultant in cancer, toxocilogy and pathology for the Tobacco Research Committee. (PMI's Introduction to Privilege Log and Glossary of Names, Estate of Burl Butler v. PMI, et al, April 19, 1996)
Roh
Rupp, John P. (TI Communication Committee, Covington & Burling lawyer)TI Communication Committee
Scherer
Schneider
Schultz
Sidak, M.
Skrabanek, Petr (General Biologist, c. 1989)
Smith, B.
Somera
Spitzer
Sullivan
Teel, K.
Uberla
Viala
Vonessche
Voss
Weetman
Werko
Operation/ProjectProject Whitecoat (Scientific Witness Project)Global project to recruit respected scientists in developed countries around the world who would criticize the science on secondhand smoke, cast doubt on whether ETS harms people and "prolong the controversy" about the effects of environmental tobacco smoke on nonsmokers.
Named Organization*EPA ( use United States Environmental Protection Agency)
McGill University (Prestigious Montreal university which cooperated with the in)Helped the tobacco industry obscure the link between secondhand smoke exposure and illness
RJR, R.J.Reynolds
Rockefeller University
TI, Tobacco Inst
Covington & Burling (Tobacco Industry law firm)Tobacco industry law firm. Was involved in organizing the Whitecoat Project.
Subjectsecondhand smoke
secondhand smoke strategy (Corporate strategy to deal with ETS issue)
Corporate strategy
corporate intelligence
Document Images
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1, C
` PHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONAL INC. INTER-OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE
120 PARK AVENUE, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10017
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
R. W. Murray August 8, 1989
TO: DATE:
A. Whist
FROM:
SUBJECT: ETS Symposium
This memorandum summarizes our earlier conversation
concerning the ETS symposium at McGill University.
What we have been~planning over the past several days
is a major international symposium which would be both
closed and private until the release, shortly after the
symposium, of a monograph summarizing the proceedings.
Our goal, of course, is to produce an impressive
document that would have the potential of neutralizing
two reports that are scheduled to be released near the
end of this year -- an ETS risk assessment that is
being prepared'by EPA and a detailed 'assessment of ETS
health effects under preparation, at Rockefeller
University, supervised by Professor Spitzer (an avowed
anti-smoker). The EPA and Spitzer reports would cause
substantial damage unless they are somehow countered.
McGill University has tentatively agreed to host our
symposium and Professor Donald Ecobichon of McGill, who
has been consulting,with us, has agreed to serve as one
of the symposium~'s organizers. Dr. Uberla of West
Germany will be approached as a possible co-organizer.
Our current thinking is to utilize a presentation/panel
discussion format for the symposium. Specifically, we
plan to select a keynote presenter for each of the
major ETS health effects issues. The keynote
presentations would open by describing, what is known
and not known about ETS and various health effects --
for example, nonsmoker lung cancer. They would offer
recommendations concerning research that should be
undertaken to answer the as-yet unanswered questions.
Such presentations should serve two related~ purposes:
first, underscore the extent to which claims currently
being made about ETS are unwarranted and, second, make
a positive contribution to those who are prepared to
approach the ETS issue objectively, by charting the
course of future research.
We propose to follow each of the keynote presentations
with a panel discussion, drawing upon a number of our
consultants with the appropriate expertise. We will
transcribe and edit the panel discussions for inclusion~
in the monograph~ which will be published immediately
following the symposium. Our experience in attending
international scientific meetings is that some of the
Page 2: bcn44e00
more valuable and~ pointed comments often are made, not
in formal presentations, but in the informal
discussions that follow. We would like to take
advantage of that experience in the proposed symposium.
You will find attached a draft agenda, as well as a
list of possible participants. A couple of comments
about the attachment may be appropriate. You will note
that we have listed as possible participants
approximately 70 individual consulting scientists. We
have not yet begun to make contacts with the scientists
whose names appear on the list so that we cannot yet
confirm their availability or willingness to
participate. As you know, we are planning to hold the
symposium in late October or very early November of
this year -- a schedule that is dictated, of course, by
the tentative release dates of the EPA and Spitzer
reports. We expect that very tight schedule to present
some problems, but we are hopeful that we will be able
to overcome them.
We have not yet developed firm budget figures for the
symposium. If we are able ultimately to get 60 or 65
scientists to participate, the cost (not including
publishing costs) should be in the neighborhood of
$450,000 to $500,000 -- a projection that would be
substantially below the cost of both the EPA and~
Spitzer projects. Having made that point, we certainly
are aware that the cost we have projected is hardly
insignificant and we therefore would recommend that
RJR, and perhaps the TI in the United States, be asked
to bear a portion of the symposium's cost. Specifically,
we would sugg,est that PM, RJR and the TI each be asked
to shoulder one-third! of the symposium's cost. For
obvious reasons, we believe that RJR and the TI would
be prepared to accept the cost-sharing that we are
proposing for a number of reasons. We would be
comfortable working with RJR and TI personnel on the
proj ect and' are reasonably conf ident that neither the
RJ~R nor TI project representatives would be other than
helpful and fully supportive.
Given the magnitude of this project, and the short lead
time that confronts us, a great deal of work will be
required on our part beginning almost immediately.
Chuck Lister of Covington & Burling, London,, is
ready to supervise the efforts of the scientists who
agree to participate from our EEC/EEMA consulting
groups, with assistance being provided by Keith Teel
and Brad Smith in their London office. John Rupp will
take responsibility for participating consultants from
United~ States, Canada and Asia, working, with Clausen
Ely, Melinda Sidak and David' Billings of Covington and
Burling's Washington office. Dr. Phil Witorsch, our
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United States consultant, will provide whatever
technical assistance we might require.
We have not attempted in this memo to set forth in a
comprehensive manner all the items that we have under
discussion concerning the meeting, or all of the issues
that need to be resolved~to ensure its success. Thus,
we need to make sure that the publisher we select is
prepared to guarantee an almost unprecedented quick
turnaround on the symposium monograph. I intend to
talk to Leon Hertz about this once I get the green
light from you.
We also need~ to think further about the best way of
distributing the monograph, making sure that we reach
the appropriate audiences in just the right way before
the EPA and Spitzer reports are released. These are
not mere details, but of fundamental importance to the
entire enterprise.
The long and the short of it is that I think we can
succeed. I'd prefer not to be mired in bureaucracy -
j ust g,et on with it with my l ittle team (security is
vital) and do the job as best we can.
AW/rs
Attachment
cc: G. C. Bible
W. H. Webb
N. Beane
Page 4: bcn44e00
]. INTRODUCTORY REi+ARxS : Dr. Ecob i Chon ( Canada ),
Dr. Uberla (West Germany)
2. ETS CHARACTERIZATIaN
'OpenincLPreserctation: To be selected.
Discussants: Dr. Reasor (U.S.), Dr. Perry (U.K.),
Dr. Neurath (West Germany), Dr. Schultz (West Germany),
Dr. Kirk (U.K.), Dr. Reynolds Dr. Halliwell
(U.K.),-Dr. Roh (South Korea), Dr. Scherer (West Germany)
3. EXPOSURE
Ovenina Presentation: To be selected.
4.
Discussants: Dr. Liao (&ong Kong), Oak Ridge
representative (U.S.), Dr. Dinardi (U.S.), Dr. Idle
(U.K.), Dr. Rim (South KQrea), Dr. Goodfellow (Canada),
-I,T representative (U.S.), Dr. Gorrod (U.K.),
Dr. Moscandreas (U.S.), Dr. Boiteau (France)
LUNG AND aTHERCANCERSOpening Presentation: To be selected.
Discussants: Dr. Roe (U.K.), Dr. Lee (U.K.),
Dr. Faccini (France), Dr. Kessler (U.S.), Dr. Malmfors
(Sweden), Dr. Leslie (U.K.), Dr. Skrabanek (U.K.),
Dr. Field (U.K.), Dr. Viala (France), Dr. Gardiner
(U.K.)
5. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Oaenina Presentation: To be selected.
Discussants: Dr. Baettig (Switzerland), Dr. Armitage
(U.K.), Dr. Cerioli (Italy), Dr. P. Witorsch (U.S.),
Dr. Voss (Denmarlc), Dr. Kismeyer (Denmark), Dr. WeQtman
(U.K.), Dr. Reverente (Philippines)
6. RESPIRATORY EFFECTS IN.'ADQLTS
Qpenino Presentation: To be selected.
Discussants: Dr. Somera (Philippines), Dr. Kentner
(West Germany), Dr. Feuer (Canada), Dr. von Essche
(West Ger:nany}, Dr. Mikkaelson (Sweden), Dr. N1c::ol,.
; ;('U.K. }, Dr. Levy (U.K.?, Dr. Lo .Iacono (2talyy
Page 5: bcn44e00
7.
RESPIRATORY EFFECTS IN CHILDREN
Opening Presentation: To be selected.
Discussants: Dr. Brown (U.K.), Dr. Go (Philippines),
Dr. R. Witorsch (t1.S. )
$. RISK ASSESSMENT
OpeninQ Presentation: To be selected.
Discussants: Dr. Schneider (West Germany), Dr. Layard
(U.S.), Dr. Atteslander (West Germany), Dr. Ginevan
(,U.S.), Dr. Werko (Swed~en), Dr. Kilpatrick (U.S.),
Dr. Beckleke (Canada), Dr. Bacon-Shone (Hong Kong)
9. REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS
Opening Presentation: To be selected.
Discussants: Dr. Husting (U,.S.), Dr. Sullivan (U.K.),
10. Dr. Butler (U.S.)
SUMMARY AND CONCLIIDING OBSERVATIONS:
Dr. Ecobichon
(Canada),, Dr. U erla (,West Germany)
