Abstract
This 1988 Philip Morris (PM)document discusses the company's strategy for combating the secondhand smoke ("environmental tobacco smoke," or ETS) issue in the European Economic Community. It comments on the type of consultants PM felt it needed in various European countries, for example, France ("...a Gray Robertson type, preferably with a medical background [who would] also be able to put any discussion of smoking in the general context of other French public health issues, i.e., traffic accidents, alcoholism, AIDS, nuclear power, etc."), Italy ("...Most needed in Italy right now is someone credible...this exercise would be all the more useful if the [Italian] consultant could "campaign" on a ticket that points the blame in another direction, for example diesel fumes...", Greece ("...we should line up someone...[who ideally] should be able to raise serious doubts on the primary issue as well.")
The paper also reveals the difficulty PM had in getting ventilation companies to do its bidding and start pushing ventilation as a solution to the secondhand smoke problem (a strategy which took the focus off of restricting indoor smoking):
"The fundamental reasoning behind the IAQ [Indoor Air Quality] plan was to push this [ventilation] technology in the hope that a self-sustaining commercial niche could be created... The burden of pushing the "IAQ" issue would then fall to the [ventilation] companies involved, who would have a commercial reason for doing so. For some reason, all this has not happened. ...Therefore, we should address this problem before all others...One possibility is to subsidize the creation of ACVA [Air Conditioning and Ventilation Associates, a PM consultant] licensees... potential ventilation companies have to be identified and then supported (with technical and marketing expertise) until they can stand alone..."
PM also discusses the type of scientists who should be avoided for recruitment for their consultancy program (and reveals the company's need to remain clandestinely involved in promoting their point of view on secondhand smoke): "Of least use are those consultants who have already been identified with the tobacco industry..."
PM also recognized the delicate issues of credibility involved in getting a reputable external laboratories to work with them:
"At all times PM should take maximum care to safeguard the credibility and good name of these laboratories. If we in any way damage the reputation of one, the rest will go nowhere near us....We should [not] leak the fact that laboratory X is doing a study for us. Projects should be presented to the laboratories as doing something which will enhance their prestige as well as their business, not something which they might regret doing..."
PM acknowledged the increasing difficulty of showing that exposure to secondhand smoke carries "zero risk":
"As the sophistication of measuring, methodologies and epidemiology advance, finding 'zero risk' is getting more and more difficult."
PM also considered shifting the focus of the "right to smoke-free air" health argument to outdoor air quality and funding studies to "show the risks incurred by urban outdoor workers such as cab and bus drivers, street vendors, policemen, news agents and kiosk operators, etc." PM admits, however, that if it overtly funded such studies, the results would have little credibility, saying "Of course, a credible, non-tobacco 'source' for such studies would have to be found or created."
Fields
- Notes
Acronyms/Code words:
IAQ = Indoor Air Quality
ETS = Environmental Tobacco Smoke
S & T = (PM's) Science and Technology Department
ACVA = Air Conditioning Ventilation Associates, a PM consultant.
NMA= National [Tobacco] Manufacturers Association
Primary Issue = the health effects of tobacco use on the smoker himself
- Quotes
ETS Strategy in the philip Morris EEC Region,
For ease of analysis, a potential action plan on ETS has been broken down into three categories: "Science"', which should be primarily the responsibility of the Science & Technology section based in Neuchatel,"Communicating Science" , where S&T will have to work hand-in-hand
with the Corporate Affairs department, preferably via the interface of a central PR firm, and "Other Communication", which is primarily the responsibility of the Corporate Affairs department...
...Indoor Air Quality: The fundamental reasoning behind the IAQ plan was to push this technology in the hope that a self-sustaining commercial niche could be created... The burden of pushing the "IAQ" issue would then fall to the companies involved, who would have a commercial reason
for doing so. For some reason, all this has not happened. Efforts to organize testing and symposia have, been sporadic and one-shot. Therefore, we should address this problem before all others. One possibility is to subsidize the creation of ACVA licensees, such as Nisses Ltd. in London, for a limited period. In, any case, other potential
ventilation companies have to be identified and then supported (with technical and marketing expertise) until they can stand alone. Specific budgets have to be set aside for this, objectives set and timing mapped
out...
[From page 5, Bates No. 2028364726]:
COMMUNICATION ON SCIENCE
General comments: The effort to produce "good science" on ETS [Environmental Tobacco Smoke] will only meet corporate objectives if this science is then communicated to audiences capable of influencing legislation on smoking in public. These audiences are
(a) those members of the scientific/medical community with an influence on national health policies
(b) the top authorities and staff at national health ministries
(c) those legislators with an active interest in health issues
(d) the media
(e) the business community
(f) the public at large
There seem to be two major ways to get the "good science" message across:
The first is to show, via scientific papers, field studies and symposia that ETS cannot reasonably be called a hazard to public health. This requires (a) that scientific studies come to cystal-clear conclusions of zero risk, and that (b these conclusions are then channeled to a wider
audience via the scientific press, the general press, and parliamentary hearings. As the sophistication of measuring, methodologies, and epidimiology advance, finding "zero risk" is getting more and more
difficult.
The second path is to point to the minute significance of ETS when compared to other environmental pollutants, both indoor and outdoor. There is no sense in limiting our arguments to the rather abstract IAQ [Indoor Air Quality]
arena, where pollutants are invisible and odorless, when we could be exploiting the much more spectacular outdoor air pollution issue.: The "right to smoke-free air" theme used successfully by the anti-smokers should be re-positioned to refer principally to outdoor air, in such a way as to shift regulatory and media attention away from smoking and
in the direction of industrial emissions, vehicle emissions, the depleted ozone layer, radioactivi~y, etc.
Studies should be funded to show the risks incurred by urban outidoor workers such as cab and bus drivers, street vendors, policemen, newsagents and kiosk operators, etc. Other studies, could show the intake of air-borne carcinogens by children spending X amount of hours
ouldoors. In such a scenario, unions and even consumer unions, would play a major role in making sure that the general air pollution issue remains a headache for both industry and government. Of course, a credible, non-tobacco "source" for such studies would have to be
found or created.
- Company
- Philip Morris
- Author
- Presumed Corporate author, Philip Morris
- Recipient
- Presumed corporate recipient, Philip Morris
RegionEurope
Named Organization*Air Conditioning & Ventilation Associates ((use ACVA Atlantic) Co. concerned with air quality; taken ov)Air Conditioning and Ventilation Associates Atlantic (ACVA Atlantic) was a business concerned with indoor air quality that was run by Gray Robertson. ACVA and Robertson helped disseminate the tobacco industry's strategy of avoiding discussion of the ETS/health link by deflecting attention away from ETS to "the larger problem of all of indoor air." ACVA became Healthy Buildings International (HBI) and Philip Morris eventually took on more of the operations of HBI and made it international. ACVA/HBI and PM invented and publicized "sick building syndrome" to take attention away from cigarettes as a point-source of indoor air pollution.
Battelle
C+B, see Covington and Burling
Cerchar Industrie
Covington & Burling (Tobacco Industry law firm)Tobacco industry law firm. Was involved in organizing the Whitecoat Project.
EEC, European Economic Community
Fedetab
Healthy Buildings 88
Horeca
Hq Ca
Iapag
Institut Fresenius
Klm
Lexpress
Mcgill Univ
Natl Coal Board
Nisses
National Manufacturers Association (Defense groups for cigarette companies worldwide)In places around the world where these associations did not exist, the tobacco industry created them to help defeat public health efforts around tobacco.
Perry Conference
PME, Philip Morris, Europe
Quotidien Du Medecin
Reemtsma
S+T, (PM) Science and Technology Deptartment
Smoker Club
Stichting
Surrey Univ
Tobacco Advisory Council (TAC) (International industry advisory council)Tobacco Advisory Council
TNO
University of Dusseldorf
UK Group
University of Florence
University of Milan
Verband der Cigaretten Industry (Trade organization for the German tobacco industry)NMA (National Manufacturers Organization) for Germany
Verband
Vienna Hearings
LitigationSTMN/Produced
Named PersonAbenheim
Adlkofer, Franz (VDC Research Director)Argued in a 1988 joint meeting of the worldwide tobacco companies that the industry should stop developing "marketable science" for use in public relations to fight the secondhand smoke issue and instead should establish a safe threshold for exposure to secondhand smoke. (Bates No. 2021548222/8235)
Balter
Bieva
Cerioli
Chiappino
Demoulin
Faccini
Favre, A.
Fortunati
Gaisch, Helmut W. (PM Europe Science & Technology President)Director and Principal Scientist, Tobacco Science and Technology, Fabriques De Tabac Reunite, S.A., (1987). Helmut Gaisch was an attendee at Philip Morris's 1987 Operation Downunder Conference, held to determine a new strategy the company could take on the issue of ETS. (PM's "Accommodation" strategy was borne from this conference). Gaisch worked to thwart ETS regulations in Europe using data from INBIFO. He was a Philip Morris European scientist, Head of Laboratories, FTR/Philip Morris Europe. Member to Tobacco Advisory Council (TAC), 1987.
Koenig
Lee, Peter N. (TAC Biostatistician)Frequently funded by the tobacco industry to criticize and discount published and epidemiological studies that linked between tobacco smoking and health damage.
Leslie, G.
Mannioni
Mentek, T.
Mohr, U.
Neurath, G.
Oberdorster, G.
Perry
Pott, F.
Robertson, John Graham "Gray" (ACVA Atlantic Inc. Indoor Air Polution consultant)1994 Long time ventilation consultant for industry. Proposed as a consultant to comment on Federal OSHA proposal on workplace smoking. See @healthy_buildings_intl
Roe, F.
Schlepkotter
Stober, W.
Surgeon General
Trichopoulos
Vanessche, R.
Warburton, David M. Dr. (Psychopharmacologist, University of Reading, UK)Director of Human Psychopharmacology group at University of Reading in the United Kingdom, Dr. Warburton published a paper "The Functions of Pleasure" which grouped tobacco with chocolate, coffee and food as substances which "give us pleasure and enhance the quality of our lives." He founded the tobacco-industry funded group ARISE (Associates for Research in Substance Enjoyment, later changed to the "Science of Enjoyment"). ARISE was also funded by breweries, distilleries and a food company.
Witorsch, 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.
TypeREPT, REPORT, OTHER
Subjectsecondhand smoke
Corporate strategy
Document Images
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ETS Strategy in the Philip Morris EEC Regiow
For ease of analysis, a potential actiom plan on ETS has been broken
down into three categories: "Sc.ience"', which should be primarily the
responsibility of the Science & Technology section based in Neuchatel,
"Communicating Science" where S&T will have to work hand-in-hand'
wit'h the Corporate Affairs department, preferably via the interface of' a
central PR fimm, and "Other Communication", which is primarily the !
responsiltbility of the Corporate Affairs department.
SCIENCE
General' comments: Three items must be clearly stated before work is
continued. These are (a) objectives of the ETS "science" program,, (b)i
the structure (legal,, reporting and otherwise) governing the program,
and (c) How, important is industry consensus to the~ program.
Concerning objectives, what are the priorities and is there an overall
medium-term (3 years ), , measurable goal that we can, establish? Once
priorities are established and the overalQ goal is agreed', individual
goals should be established by country, a timetable set,, a budgett
established, and a review procedure set up: to check if the project is on
schedule,. Should the review procedure reveal shortcomings, these
should be d'iscussed, between the HQ CA executive of the Region
concerned, the S&T executive,, and the~ legal counsell, and corrective
action decided.
Concerning the structure, the direction, of the action floanr between HQ,
Neuchatel,, the local market and the legal buffer must be made
absolutely clear. This flow must be directed at, all times, with no
"'leapfrogging. " If there are divergences of opinion between one center
and' another, these matters should be resolved by the overall project
leaders at a regular or ad hoc meeting.
Concerning, consensus, Philip Morris has to decide, issue by issue
whether to try to involve NMA's from the start or to go, ahead entirely
alone. A haLf=half' solution wiPli be distracting and inefficient, because it
will be impossible to move ahead~ on, projects if different people are
holding different files.
Sub-issues : ~
Airlines: First, a priority decision must be made. Should we really
focus science staff' efforts on airl'ines when (a) the workplace smoking
issue! is gainang, ground in Europe and (b)i 80$ of' all European flights
last under one hour. A decision must be made on whether to use the
"ETS!" approach or the "'IAQ` approach. The former is simpler to push
on a2rlines but is riskier ini what is actually found. The latter is better
overall but wouid' have to be conducted more subtly. Perhaps this could
be done by persuading a good airline without cash-flow problems to use
IAQ as a marketing, gimmick, i.e. boasting of greater humidity, lower
ozone, separate smoking/ non- smoking, cabins, etc. In any case, in this
sub-issue Lausanne should set a clear objective and define tasks and'
responsabilities. Progress should be reviewed on a regular basis.
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Indoor Air Quality: The fundamental reasoning behind the IAQ plan was
to push this technology in the hope that a self-sustaining commercial
niche could be created. The burden of pushing the "IAQ" issue would
then fall to the companies involved, who wouU have a commercial reason
for doing so. For some reason, all this has not happened. Efforts to
organize testing and symposia have been sporadic and one-shot.
Therefore, we should address this problem before all others. One S
possibility is to subsidize the creation of ACVA licensees, such as Nisyes
Ltd. in London, for a limited period. In any case, other potential
ventilation companies have to be identified and then supported (with
technical and marketing expertise) until they can stand alone. Specific
budgets ha ve to be set aside for this, objectives set and timing mapped
out.
Scientific Consultants: At a first giance, there seem to be two problems
with current activities in this areai. (a), the "objective" set by New
York stresses quantity but makes no mention of quality. This makes the
objective meaningless. The objective must be re-formulated to state the
type of consultant being sought as well as the end-uses of' these
consultant's. (b) the job of' contacts, development, and task assignment
has never been clear. Actual and potential consultants seem to; be
bombarded by instructions, often, contradictory, from several' sources.
What is needed is a clear picture of who i's responsible for which
consultant. It is probably preferable that the person having, made the
first contact with the consultant continues to, be~ that consultant's
"handler". All further instructions to the consultant should be
channeled through the original handler.
Another need is for PME markets to be segmented as for specific needs
in the consultant program. For the EEC, these needs would seem to be
as follows :
U.K.: Consultants who cani get good research on, ETS/IAQ published inn
both technical! journals and "vulgarized"" scientific publications for a
wider audience. In the, medium term, U.K. consultants shoulid be able to
be cited as the "best' in their field"" for specific areas, rather like
Professor Warburton on the addiction issue. Useful areas would!be, for
example,, ETS/IAQ and children, ETS/IAQ and transport, E'I''S/IAQ and
the workplace issue.
France: Three types of consultant are needed here. The first would be
a Gray Robertson typey preferably with a medical background, who
could "carry" the IAQ issue in France practically single-handedl1y. The
second would have a double fuinction: to be able to promote the "good
science" on ETS, particularly with the media, but also to be able to putt
any discussion of smoking in the general context of other French public
health issues, i.e. traffic accidents, alcoholism, AIDS', nuclear power,
etc. The third type of consultant needed in France would be a "pure"
researcher on ETS andi related subjects, someone capable of earning the
respect of the French scientific community via solid research..
Italy: Most needed in Italy right now is someone credible who could run
a Perry-type field study and defend his findings at medical symposia..
This exercise would'be all the more useftnl if the consultant could
"campaign" on a ticket that points the blame in another direction, for
example diesel fumes. Longer term, the Italian market, could also use
someone able to discuss smoking issues intelligently with the media -_
and willing to do so..
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Germany: Since, the momentum for consultants in Germany seems to be
in the direction of' getting, the upper hand in "pure" research, this
advantage should be consolidated. However, a media-oriented consultantt
should also be developed to communicate this research persuasively.
Benelux: On the whole, this area wouldi be a lower priority. However,
we should be able to develop at least two Belgians (one from each
language area), and two Dutch, who, in the medium term, would'be able
to run Perry-type field studies in their respective countries.
Greece: Again, not' a priority, butt we should line up someone capable
of blooming int'o an "anti-Trichopoulos.° Ideally, he should be able to
raise serious doubts on the primary issue: as well.
Austria: Since the current debate in Austria seems to center around
smoking and youth, the Austrian consultant should special'aze in this
area. However,, he should also be able to discuss the whole ETS issue,
intelligently and to serve as a reputable back-up for the German group.
Current status of tihe consultant program in EEC markets :.
France: overall coordflnating, scientist, i's Prof. Andre Favre, a
toxicologist, who is making, a 1"nst of potential candidates.
His "lieutenants"' are Dr. Abenheim, of McGill University, and
Prof. Faccini (now at Surrey University)..
Italy: Dr. Chiappino of the University of Milan has been
contacted, but he does not seem aggressive enough~ to function as
a coordinating scientist. Dr. Cerioli,, a toxicologist based outside
of Milan: and a consultant, could be better in this role. Dr. Gaisch
has worked with him in the past. A Dr. Mannionai, a physician att
the University of Florence, has expressed interest in condinct!ing a
large-scale project. but . A prof. Fortunati: is a, possibility.
UK: coordinating scientists are George Leslie and Francis Roe, who
have built up a, "stable"' of 12 to 141 scientists. None of these is
spectacular, but the search continues for good spokesmen. T'he UK
group: will meet on September 12, together with Favre, Faccini and
Balter. The TAC has yet to agree to a budget~.
Hol'land: The Stichting has now agreed to the need for aa
team of' consultants and is about to decide on, a budget. Tom
Mentek of the Stichting bel"i'ves about 6 people wil~L be neccessary.
Germany: Pt'eemtsma i& the driving force on the, scientific issue,,
and' in general the VdC' is very reliuct'ant to let PM get the upper
hand. In all probability, there will be ~ two, consultant t'eams r. a
Verband team and a "Covington & Burling" team. For the moment,
recruiting is pending, and it is yet to be decided whether to have
Adelkofer or, hKoenig coordinate the scientists. Scientists: George
Neurath, Gunter Oberdbrster ( I. A. P. A. G'. ), Werner Stober
(widely-published), Ulrick Mohr (Hannover), Frederick Pott (U. of
Dus eldorf -- has studied diesel! exhaust and coal dust), Prof.
Schlpkgtte((U. of Dusseldorf).
Belgium: aside from Bieva, a promising, candidate for coorrTinating,
scientist is Dr. Rae Van Essche a personal friend of De Moulin.
Fedetab forsees a need for about 6 people, and is about to decide
on, a budget..
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Overall, for both regions, 20 to 22 scientists are said! to be signedi
up. Use should be made of IAPAG"s ETS'/IA~,1 database. It is up to
CA to develop: a "wish list"' for whitecoat utiTization in E~EC
markets (see above). O'f' course, a centralized list must be kept at
the buffer, updated as neccessary.
Concliusion/suggestion: in a general sense, PM should invest~ much more
in consultants: who can, either be very vocal (the Witorschl type) or
respected among their peers (the Warburton type). Of least use are
those consultants who have already been identified' with the tobacco
industry and who nevertheless continue doing abstract work with little
or no chance of generating much interest, scientific: or otherwise (i.e.,
Peter L.ee).
Reference Laboratories: The use of reference laboratories seems to be
better controlled; however, as with, the scientific consultants, it i&
highly undesireable that these laboratories have more than one PM
"contact. "' At no time should a laboratory be taking, directions from two
different people. A specific PM person should be assigned to work with
a laboratory on a! given project.
At all times PMI should take the maximum, care to safeguard t'hee
credibility and good name of these laboratories. If' we in any way
damage the reputation of one, the rest will go nowhere near us. When
we assign major projects to: one of the laboratories, we should neither
be checking, over their shoulders every five minut'es, nor leaking the
fact that laboratory X is doing, a study for us. Projects should be
presented to the laboratories as something which wi12l enhance their
prestige as well as their business;, not somethang, which they might
regret doing.
Current Ft'eference I.abo4 atories :
- Battelle (Geneva) : very expensive
- Institut Fresenius : German, with a 100 year history.
- Dr. Neurath : Hamburg, used to be Pteemtsma chief' chemist
- TNO : Netherlands (Division of Technology for Society), 5,,000
employees ... has worked with KLM
- Cerchar Industrie : France~, works for Nat. Coal Board.
Scientific Symposia:. Before any work is continued in~ this direction, a
very careful analysis must be done on why the Perry Conference and
Vienna Hearings were not the successes we had hoped. Again, a clear
objective for scientific symposia must~ be stated (for example, concluding,
remarks which could be quoted by Corporate Affairs and NMA
executives). Once this objective has been determined, S&T should focus
exclusively on two items: (a) making, sure the symposium is credible
vis-a-vis the scientific community, and (b) making, sure that it reaches
its objective. The rest of the activity linked to scientific symposia falls
under the "Communication on Science"' category and as such will not bee
discussed here.
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COMMUNICATION ON~l SCIENCE
General comments: The effort to prodiuce "good science" on ET'S will
only meet corporate objectives if this science is then communicated' to
audiences capable of' infiueneing legislation on smoking in public. These
audiences are
(a) those members of' the scierntific/medacal community with an influence
on national health policies
(b) the top authorities and staff at national' health ministries
(c) those legislators with an active interest im health issues
(d) the media
(e) the business community
(f) the public at large
There seem to be two major ways to get the "good science" message
across:
The first is to show, via scientific, papers, field studies and symposia;
that ETS cannot reasonably be called a hazard to public health. This
requires (a) that scientific studies come to, cystal-cUear conclusions of
zero risk, and that (b) these conclusions are then, channelied' to a wider
audience via the scientific press, the general press, and parliamentary
hearings. As the~ sophistication of measuring methodologies and,
epidimiology advance, finding "zero risk" is getting more and more
d"affiicult.
The, second path is to point to, the minute significance of ETS when
compared to other environmental pollutants, both indoor and outdbor.
There is no sense in limiting our arguments to the rather abstract IAQ
arena, where pollutants are invisible and odbrless, when we could be
exploitiing, the much more spectacular outdoor air pollution issue. The
"right to smoke-free air" theme used successfully by the! anti-smokers
should be re-positioned to refer principally to outdoor aor, in such a,
way as to shift regulatory and media attention away from smoking and
in the direction of industrial emissions, vehicle emissions, the depleted'i
ozone layer, radioactivity, etc.
Stuidiies should' be funded to show t~he risks incurred by urban outdoor
workers such as cab and bus drivers, street vendors, policemen,
newsagents and kiosk operators, etc. Other studies could show the
intake of air-borne carcinogens by children spending X amount of' hours
outdoors. In such a scenario, unions and even consumer unipns wouldd
play a major role in making sure that the general air pollution issue
remains a headache for both, industry and government. Of' course, a
credible, non-tobacco "source" for such studies would have to be
found or created.
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Science andi the Media: Perhaps the greatest need right now is for a
centrall public relations agency specialized in "placing" pro-industry
material in both scientific and! general media. The same agency would
be responsible for marketing the conclusions of ETS/IAQ symposia to
the media. The agency woulid also actively seek out media interview,
opportunities for PM, NMA and Smoker Club spokespeople. Our existing
agencies are too closely identified with Philip Morris for these tasks.
The P. R. agency selected should, be strong, in all ' priority markets;
dedicated to a long-term relationship with Philip Morris; and willing to
assign specific account! executives to long-term involvement with this
project., The P.R. agency will report on!ly to the appropriate Corporate
Affairs department of the Region concerned.
Of course, the action of the P. R'. agency can only be as good as the
input froml S&T or C&B. A system must' be found by which new studies,
statements, findings, and test results are, regularly communicated to the
agency in simplified or "abstract" form, with copy to the Corporate
Affairs departments .
At the same time, it can do no harm that informal contacts be
established between our scientists and free-lance writers on the science
circuit, in the interest of persuading them to write artieles of' interest
to the industry.
Indoor Air Quality: If' any real progress is to be made on this issue,
we have to make IAQ a un2oni issue. Union representatives should be
sent to Stockholin as observers to Healthy Buildings 88' and, generally,
there should be a working, relationship set up between the industry and
labor unions in all markets. Responsibilities for union, contacts and
follow-up have to be assigned' and managed. Specific communications
materials for use wit'h labor unions will' have to be~ produced and
dist'ributed, preferably by the coalition of' five U. S. labor unions
concerned with the IAQ issue, in the U. S.
T'here is also a need! for a top-quality IAQ film, dubbed in various
languages, for use with the media as well as the labor unions. This film
should show as graphically as possible the "hidden dangers" present in,
the indoor environment, and make the point banning smoking is a
common "smokescreen" for employers too lazy or cheap; to solve the real
IAQ probl'em!.
Trade Relations: PM or the individual NMA's should edit a complete
"smoking issues"' kit for the trade, consisting of a vidleo,, brochures
posters, flyers, walQet-cards and other support material. The kit should
cover the primary and ETS issues, courtesy & tolerance, marketing
freedom, economic impact, taxation. & pricing, and the role of the trade
in the lobbying area. The trade must be seen as a useable ally in
smok,ing, issues, as they are the only part of the tobacco industry in
direct contact with the consumer.
The HOR'ECA channels must'also be reached with, csur messages before
the anti's get to them first. Programs and materials must be developed'
for restaurants, bars,, hotels, and other areas. In most, cases, already
existing commercial contacts can simply be extended to, include the ET'S
issue.
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Publications: A separate effort, but one which can probably be handled
by the central P'. R. firm, involves having reference works on ETS / IAQ 1
published; by commercial publishing, firms. This is already in preparation
in the UK, where a UK adaptation of "Clearing the Air" is scheduled,
as well as an IAQ textbook ta be published! by Oxford Press. Ideally,
we should be able to set an objective of at least one reference work
published in each of the major EEC' languages over the next three~
years.
Reaction: One area where we seem unable to communiicate rapidly is in
the field of' scientific critiques of articles in the pres&. When thee
subject matter can be attacked on logic, as wit'h, the U. S. Surgeon
General's statements, this can, be handled by the NMA's or by
Corporate Affairs within a few hours by a press release or a letter to
the, editor. However, when the subject matter is more scientific in
nature, there is at present no way to provide a rapidl, effective
reply. Recent examples have been our silence following the recent
articles on ETS in L'Express and Quotidien du Medecin. S&T staffers in
Neuchat'el'are often away on travel, and in any case cannot be expected
to drop everything and turn out a statement in a few hours. This task
must be assigned to C&B, who must equap itself to work with
translators and consultant scientists so that "turn around" time is
minimized.
Press visits: Press visitors to Neuchatel are often fascinated by what
we have to~ say, but often there is a lack of time in which to explain
complex statistical/scientifie/'med'ica1 concepts. Therefore, we need to
delelop a simple, standard Smoking Issues presentation integrating, the
new R'&D films, computerized charts,, et'c. The presentation should nott
be too slick, but new t'echnologies could' be used to make the
information clearer.
