Tobacco Documents Online

Associates for Research Into the Science of Enjoyment

Abstract

This presentation describes the global tobacco industry's European front group "Associates for Research into the Science of Enjoyment," or ARISE. ARISE was funded primarily by Philip Morris, Rothmans, R.J. Reynolds, British American Tobacco and their food and drink subsidiaries like Kraft, Miller Beer and Nestle. The group was created as a direct response to the 1988 U.S. Surgeon General's report that compared the process of becoming addicted to nicotine to the processes of becoming addicted to heroin and cocaine. This public comparison of nicotine to heroin and cocaine statement sent up red flags in the global tobacco industry, who responded by forming ARISE (without letting the public know they were behind the formation of ARISE).

Page 5 of the presentation is entitled "How ARISE arose!" and says,

"In 1988 the U.S. Surgeon General said: 'Nicotine was as addictive as heroin or cocaine." The industry responded. A group of academics was identified and called together to: review the science of substance abuse, separate nicotine from these substances, act as a forum for scientists who think objectively."

ARISE participants were put forth as sociological experts who purportedly addressed the "science of 'pleasure." They stated that when people are pleased, their cortisol levels drop, and the immune system becomes more effective. When a person fails to experience pleasure, their immune system becomes depressed which leads to "increased disease levels including cancers, heart disease, ulcers and infections." Activities like drinking tea, eating chocolate, shopping and smoking tobacco, they rationalized, caused pleasure and hence enhanced good health. Participating in pleasurable activities like smoking, they claimed, thus gave people personal control over their lives which in turn reduced stress and improved health.

ARISE attacked the comparisons of nicotine to heroin and cocaine, railed against "forcing a 'uniform healthy society,'" and proclaimed that nicotine enhanced performance. They aligned smoking with use of food and drink, and activities like spending time with family, having sex and shopping. ARISE toured Europe generating newspaper headlines like

"HEALTH SCARES ARE BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH" http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/zhq37e00

"NINE THINGS MORE PLEASURABLE THAN SEX" http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/eko32e00

"HEALTH PURITANS ACCUSED OF RUINING QUALITY OF LIFE" http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/cld34e00

"PURITANS 'TRY TO RUIN QUALITY OF LIFE' " http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/pqc96e00

"THE EC AS A KILL-JOY PURITANS ARE DESTROYING PEOPLE'S ENJOYMENT OF LIFE" http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/oyh29e00

ARISE participants held conferences, published books, toured several continents, generated media events, newspaper articles, made video news releases, press releases, and wrote letters to the editor.

It was not disclosed that ARISE was formed and funded by the tobacco industry, or that the industry paid for extensive public relations campaigns for the group from 1988-99.

Fields

Quotes

HOW ARISE AROSE!

IN 1988 THE US SURGEON GENERAL SAID: "NICOTINE WAS AS ADDICTIVE AS HEROIN OR COCAINE".

THE INDUSTRY RESPONDED A GROUP OF ACADEMICS WAS IDENTIFIED AND CALLED TOGETHER TO: • REVIEW THE SCIENCE OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE • SEPARATE NICOTINE FROM THESE SUBSTANCES • ACT AS A FORUM FOR SCIENTISTS WHO THINK OBJECTIVELY

ARISE AUDIENCES • THE GENERAL PUBLIC • SCIENTISTS, POLITICAL SCIENTISTS AND ACADEMICS • REGULATORS, OPINION FORMERS AND POLICY MAKERS

THE SCIENCE OF 'PLEASURE'

POSITIVE: PLEASURE: CORTISOL LEVELS DROP - IMMUNE SYSTEM BECOMES MORE EFFECTIVE

NEGATIVE: DEPRESSION: CORTISOL LEVELS INCREASE - IMMUNE SYSTEM DEPRESSED CATECHOLAMINES INCREASED LEADING TO: INCREASED DISEASE LEVELS - INCLUDING: • CANCERS • HEART DISEASE • ULCERS • INFECTIONS

SCIENCE CONCLUDES PLEASURE PROMOTES HEALTH BY INCREASING OUR IMMUNE RESPONSES AND THUS INCREASING DISEASE RESISTANCE • DEPRESSION CONVERSELY INCREASES DISEASE • THE SENSORY AND OTHER EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL, CHOCOLATE, COFFEE, TEA AND TOBACCO GIVE PLEASURE AND THUS BENEFIT HEALTH - HAVE A CALMING/UNWINDING EFFECT AND BENEFIT HEALTH • THE EFFECTS OF COFFEE, TEA AND TOBACCO IMPROVE ATTENTION AND MEMORY --THUS INCREASE WORK ACHIEVEMENT WHICH ALSO PROVIDES PLEASURE • PERSONAL CONTROL OVER YOUR LIFE GIVES PLEASURE • LACK OF CONTROL OVER YOUR LIFE PRODUCES STRESS

ARISE SUPPORTERS PAST AND PRESENT • COCA COLA • PHILIP MORRIS • GUINNESS • KRAFT GENERAL FOODS • EUROPEAN DUTY FREE CONFEDERATION • MILLER • ROTHMANS INTERNATIONAL SERVICES • EUROTOQUES • BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO • COFFEE SCIENCE INFORMATION CENTRE * R J REYNOLDS • EUROPEAN ADVERTISING AGENCIES ASSOCIATION • NESTLE

...ARISE CONFERENCES 1988 FLORENCE • ATTACKED THE VIEW THAT NICOTINE IS LIKE HEROIN/COCAINE • SUBSTANCE USE MUST BE VIEWED IN SEVERAL PERSPECTIVES - HISTORICAL - CULTURAL - ECONOMIC - SOCIAL • NICOTINE ENHANCES PERFORMANCE

ARISE CONFERENCES 1991 VENICE-- • ALIGNMENT [of tobacco use] WITH FOOD AND DRINK • CONCENTRATION ON SENSORY/PLEASURE ASPECTS • SMOKING IS A CONTROLLED PLEASURE - IT DOES NOT TAKE CONTROL • FREEDOM OF CHOICE • MEDICAL POLITICS • MEDIA CUTTINGS PUBLICATION: 'PLEASURE: THE POLITICS AND THE REALITY'

ARISE CONFERENCES 1993 BRUSSELS 'PLEASURE AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE' • EXPLORE THE SCIENCE OF HOW PLEASURE LEADS TO POSITIVE HEALTH - FEELING GOOD • COMPARE HEALTH PROMOTION WITH HEALTH EDUCATION • AGAINST FORCING A 'UNIFORM HEALTHY SOCIETY' • ASSERT INDIVIDUAL'S AUTONOMY TO MAKE CHOICES • MAINTAIN PEOPLEtS SELF RESPECT • MA.IOR PR ACTIVITY PUBLICATION: 'PLEASURE AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE'

Company

Philip Morris

Region

Great Britain

Germany

France

Spain

Italy

Belgium

Named Person

Clodong, A.

Surgeon General

Named Organization

*British American Tobacco Company Limited BAT (See British-American Tobacco Co.)

Defense

Coca-Cola Company

Coffee Science Information Centre

European Advertising Agencies Assn

European Duty Free Confederation

Eurotoques (European chefs association)

Guinness

Kraft General Foods

Miller

Mori

Nestle

Pleasure + the Quality of Life

Pleasure the Politics + the Reality

PMI, Philip Morris International

Reuters News Release

RJR, R.J.Reynolds

Rothmans Intl Services

1988 Florence Arise Conference

Type

SPCH, SPEECH, PRESENTATION

Operation/Project

ARISE

Litigation

Stmn/Produced

Subject

addiction

Front groups

Social Acceptability (Social acceptability of smoking)

The industry fought the decline in social acceptability of smoking through public relations campaigns, legislation, etc.