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Minutes of Eema/EEC ETS Strategy Meeting Held on 870511

Abstract

These minutes of a 1987 meeting held between Philip Morris' (PM) European executives and John Rupp of Covington and Burling (industry attorney) discuss bringing strategy for fighting governments, public health authorities and scientific conclusion on the health effects of secondhand smoke (SHS) to Europe. PM lists "end goals" for the strategy: "Resist smoking restrictions" and "Restore smoker confidence."

Lofty pre-requisites needed to achieve the above goals are also listed:

"--Reverse scientific and popular opinion --Restore social acceptability of smoking --Preserve product liability defences." The first item above indicates PM's awareness that the accumulated scientific evidence about SHS had concluded beyond a doubt that SHS was harmful to health, and reveals the cigarette company's hubris on this topic. The last item, "Preserve product liability defences," suggests that PM believed it needed to create a body of scientific studies casting doubt on the health effects of secondhand smoke to preserve its own defenses against personal injury suits that could potentially arise over SHS exposure. This concern is reflected again on page 3 (Bates No. 2046754739), where PM cautions, "The product liability implications of what is said...in the course of media breifings and elsewhere must be borne in mind."

Later in the paper, PM discusses how to portray its relationship with a company called ACVA (Air Conditioning and Ventilation Associates Atlantic). ACVA was run by a ventilation engineer named Gray Robertson, who toured the U.S. giving seminars about indoor air quality. In these seminars, Robertson introduced the public and press to the notion of "sick building syndrome," a theory that blamed building occupants' health complaints on virtually all components except tobacco smoke (dust, cleaning chemicals, construction materials, poor ventilation, etc. ). Gray Robertson's tours and speaking engagements were paid for by Philip Morris.

PM needed to hide its affiliation with ACVA in order for their "indoor air expert" to maintain credibility. Thus these minutes say,

"ACVA must be perceived to be at arm's length from the industry, including in media briefings. Its role at most should be seen as yet another third party expert amongst others."

The document also makes clear that PM was the leader of worldwide efforts to obscure the link between secondhand smoke and health. Section #4 of the minutes, titled "Industry Coordination," states,

"It is preferable to build up a coordinated, international industry effort [to deal with the secondhand smoke issue]. Ideally this would be under the auspices of INFOTAB ...Nevertheless is was understood that PM must forge on and lead/act unilaterally whilst the industry coordination is being established individual markets."

User-Contributed Notes

Fields

Quotes

Objectives of the ETS Strategy (from the EEMA plan) End goals:

--Resist smoking restrictions --Restore smoker confidence Pre-requisites:

--Reverse scientific and popular opinion --Restore the social acceptability of smoking --Preserve product liability defences ...Establish Third Parties:

--Scientific experts (identification, organization) --ACVA type ...4. Industry Coordination

It is preferable to build up a coordinated, international industry effort. Ideally this would be under the auspices of INFOTAB. In many markets it will be advisable or even necessary to work through the NMA or an industry club. Nevertheless while it was understood that PM must forge on and lead/act unilaterally whilst the industry coordination is being established in individual markets. This coordination should ultimately lead to integration with respect to the buffer entity...

...Need for follow-up generated by media briefings (vehicle to be put in place, materials to be developed, information has to be kept flowing so as to sustain momentum created by such briefings...)

--Capitalization worldwide on efforts in U.S. --Proposed briefings of U.S.-based correspondents to newspapers published in EEMA-EEC regions and U.S.-based wire service editors and reporters... ...Media briefings should be held only when the follow-up capability is established.

--The product liability implications of what is said and communicated in the course of media briefings and elsewhere must be borne in mind.

--ACVA must be perceived to be at arm's length from the industry, including in media briefings. It's role at most should seem as yet another third party expert amongst others.

OTHER SUPPORT

--Public speaking training to be provided for third-party experts --Suitable environment to be created for third-party scientists (e.g. opportunity to meet peers and exchange ideas, access to information). ... --Possibility of access to pan Arab media through participation of PM in industry-media representatives meeting next autumn...

Company

Philip Morris

Author

Besques, Jean (PM Europe, PM EEMA c. 1987-88)

Attended 1988 joint industry meeting in London wherein industry reps discussed strategies on secondhand smoke issue. (Minutes of meeting can be found at Bates No. 2021548222/8235, from PM Bliley set)

Recipient

Badler, Richard D. (PM Consumer Relations Manager c. 1983)

Manger of consumer relations at Philip Morris, c. 1983

Besques, J.L.

Brooks, Bradley B. (PMI Attorney, Asst Gen. Counsel)

Bradley B. Brooks was an Assistant General Counsel for Philip Morris International. (PMI's Introduction to Privilege Log and Glossary of Names, Estate of Burl Butler v. PMI, et al, April 19, 1996)

Carlson, Stig (PM Corp. Affairs Director - EEMA Region)

based in Sweden

Diserens, George (FTR Administrateur-Delegue )

Fabriques de Tabac Reunies SA

Dulles, Frederick H. (PM EEC-EEMA c. 1986)

Philip Morris, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa unit

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.

Grandjean, Philippe (PMI ETS Group, c. 1992)

1992

Horst, Michael D. (PM II Switz. External Affairs VP)

VP Philip Morris Corporate Services, Brussels, 1992. 1993 Switzerland. PM ETS group. Also served as Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Philip Morris International, U.S.A., in 1986. Attended INFOTAB/NMA meeting in Brussels Oct. 1986.

Kannangara, Arjuna (PM EEMA Corp. Affairs Manager '87)

PM Eastern Europe, Middle East and Asia

Maglione, Paul (PM EEC, Lausanne office, c. 1990-PMI ETS Group)

Dir. of Communications & Issues Mgmt, PM Corp. Services, Brussels, c. 1992

Nassif, George (PM EEMA Switzerland, Corp. Affairs Manager, c.1986)

Attended INFOTAB/NMA workshop in Brussels, Belgium Oct. 13-16, 1986, to discuss how to handle critics, the World Health Organization's programs, and the European Economic Community's anti-tobacco efforts.

Pantet, Raymond (FTR Public Affairs/Public Relations Dir., Switzerland)

Philip Morris, c. 1986-1993 - Fabriques de Tabac

Pottorff, Mary ("Mopsy") (PM Worldwide Regulatory Affairs Manager)

Mary (Mopsy) Pottorff was Manager of Worldwide Regulatory Affairs for Philip Morris. She was a member of PM's Ventilation Task Force and PMI ETS Management Group. (PMI's Introduction to Privilege Log and Glossary of Names, Estate of Burl Butler v. PMI, et al, April 19, 1996). Nickname "Mopsy."

Reardon, Michael (PM Europe, SA c. 1997)

Still with the company in 2002 (2085797773/7774)

Reif, Helmut E. (PM Europe Science & Tech. Director, 1980s)

Helmut Reif was Director of Science and Technology for FTR. (PMI's Introduction to Privilege Log and Glossary of Names, Estate of Burl Butler v. PMI, et al, April 19, 1996)

Robinson, Bernie (PM EEMA Corp. Affairs, Director, Region, Switzerland, 1986)

Rupp, John P. (TI Communication Committee, Covington & Burling lawyer)

TI Communication Committee

Sargeant, Ian (PMI Corp. Affairs Policies & Programes Director)

1989 EEC Region, Switzerland

Ware, Keith J. (PM EEMA, Lausanne c, 1985)

Region

Eastern Europe

Middle East

Africa

European Economic Community

Type

MEMO, MEMORANDUM

AGEN, AGENDA

MINU, MINUTES

Litigation

Stmn/Produced

Named Person

Carlson, S.G.

Dulles, F.

F, K.I.

Grandjean, P.

Horst, M.D.

Maglione, P.

Nassif, G.L.

Pantet, R.A.

Pottorff, M.O.

Rupp, J.B.

Ware, K.J.

Besques, J.L.

Diserens, G.

Gaisch, H.

Kannangara, A.

Reardon, M.

Reif, H.

Robinson, B.

Sargeant, I.

Osdene, Thomas

Badler, D.

Badler, R.D.

Brooks, B.

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.

Operation/Project

Project 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

*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.

HGA

IAPAG (Indoor Air Pollution Advisory Group (set up by the industry))

Indoor Air Pollution Advisory Group - set up by Covington and Burling in 1987 to provide expert testimony regraining indoor air quality at legislative hearings. This group traveled to Austrailia, U.S., Hong Kong.

International Tobacco Information Inc. (INFOTAB) (Int'l Tobacco Information Clearinghouse for industry, NMAs)

ICOSI (International Commission on Smoking Issues) was formed around 1978. It was reorganized in 1980 or 1981 as INFOTAB. Infotab is an information clearinghouse that collects articles and legislatlve information. Data Is funnelled to Infotab by members of the industry. The founding companies are R.J. Reynolds International, BAT, Philip Morris, Reemtsma, Rothmans, Imperial andGallaher. The last three companies dropped in and out. A company had to give three years' notice to resign. BAT gave its notice to resign in late 1987 in conjunction with B&W's resignation from TI. BAT and B&W's resignations were partially because of the Barclay controversy. The companies pay the Infotab dues, but the beneficiaries include the national manufacturing associations(NMAs) . NMAs worldwide receive newsletters from Infotab. They can call and get information on various topics. G.C. Hargrove of BAT was on Infotab.

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.

Subject

secondhand smoke

secondhand smoke strategy (Corporate strategy to deal with ETS issue)