Anne Landman's Collection
Scientific Witness Program
Abstract
The Tobacco Institue operated a secret "Scientific Witness" program in which they recruited medical, scientific and ventilation professionals to publish papers and testify before public bodies on their behalf to help "maintain the controversy" on secondhand smoke. In this 1989 speech, Charles Powers, Senior Vice President of the Tobacco Institute (TI), explains to the TI Executive Committee why the Institute's secret "Scientific Witness" program was so important to the industry, and why they needed increase its funding: "Two weeks ago, the Journal of the American Medical Association published an article that will add fuel to the already hot battle over smoking restrictions...This article is the third piece of ETS [environmental tobacco smoke] research to appear in the scientific literature in the last three months...I can assure you there will be more...The tobacco industry in this country is not prepared to respond to a steady onslaught of articles in the scientific literature that condemns ETS as a health hazard that can be dealt with only by smoking bans. We are not prepared because...scientists will not buck for love what the Washington Post just last week called the 'scientific concensus' about ETS as a health hazard. It takes money."
Powers explains that spokespeople the Institute had already enlisted to criticize existing ETS literature lacked the necessary academic standing to be taken seriously by scientists:
"Last year...we succeeded in identifying five additional independent consultants who have become invaluable in our state legislative witness program and in working with the media...But they do not have peer standing in the academic community to be taken seriously in scientific circles. For this project...we need people with an academic and research background. Right now we have no one."
Powers explains that credible research academics are needed to "package and sell" the research tobacco companies have generated internally, because the Institute "can't do it and be taken seriously":
"...Thanks in large part to the research programs in your companies, we have the base of information we need to attack these biased research articles on E-T-S. Unfortunately, we have no one to package that information and to sell it. The Institute can't do it and be taken seriously. We need people who have earned reputations as serious researchers...who can review and critique articles, publish and act as peer reviewers."
Powers explains the difficulty and expense in recruiting credible scientists:
"...For every one scientist who makes the final cut, as many as nine don't...Many simply don't want to work for this industry. And others don't pass important legal and product liability tests...History tells us that it costs on average about $40,000 to identify and bring up to speed a single expert before that individual is available to work with us. Once the individual is identified, it takes about six weeks. If we don't make that effort, no one else will."
There is no explanation of what the "legal and product liability tests" are.
Fields
- Quotes
COMMENTS CHARLES H. POWERS SCIENTIFIC WITNESS PROGRAM THE TOBACCO INSTITUTE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING FEBRUARY 23,1989
TWO WEEKS AGO, THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE THAT WILL ADD FUEL TO THE ALREADY HOT BATTLE OVER AIRLINE SMOKING RESTRICTIONS. AND IT'S NOT A LONG JUMP FROM AN AIRLINE SMOKING BAN...TO BANS ON OTHER FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION...TO BANS ON SMOKING IN ALL PUBLIC PLACES...INCLUDING THE WORKPLACE. NCI MONITORED FIVE PASSENGERS AND FOUR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS IN AND AROUND THE SMOKING SECTIONS OF FOUR FOUR-HOUR FLIGHTS AND FOUND THAT NONSMOKERS IN NONSMOKING SECTIONS ARE EXPOSED TO TOBACCO SMOKE, AND THAT THIS EXPOSURE MAY PRODUCE ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS.
GENTLEMEN...IN THIS CASE...I BELIEVE OUR RESPONSE WAS GOOD. WE HAD BEEN FOLLOWING THE PROGRESS OF THIS STUDY IN SPITE OF HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] STONEWALLING...WE HAD, WITH COUNSEL'S HELP, IDENTIFIED AN EXPERT TO CRITIQUE THE QUESTIONNAIRE... LARRY HOLCOMB WAS ON BOARD TO ASSESS THE STUDY AND ITS LIMITATIONS.
THIS TIME...WE WERE LUCKY. WE WERE LUCKY BECAUSE THE AUTHORS WERE SO TRANSPARENT IN THEIR GOAL OF ADVANCING THE AIRLINE SMOKING BAN...BECAUSE THE SAMPLE SIZE WAS SO SMALL ...AND BECAUSE WE HAD RESEARCH AND EXPERTS AVAILABLE TO HELP US ATTACK THE STUDY. THIS ARTICLE IS THE THIRD PIECE OF E-T-S RESEARCH TO APPEAR IN THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS. I CAN ASSURE YOU THERE WILL BE MORE. LAST YEAR...STAFF PREPARED A LISTING OF ALL KNOWN E-T-S RESEARCH...THE PROJECTS THAT RESULTED IN THE THREE ARTICLES ALREADY PUBLISHED ARE ON THAT LIST. WE UPDATED THE LIST LAST WEEK ...HERE IT IS. ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR SEPARATE PROJECTS...MOST OF THEM FUNDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT...BY INTERNATIONAL HEALTH GROUPS ... IN OTHER WORDS...BY PEOPLE WHOSE VIEWS ABOUT SMOKING AND ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE ARE WELL KNOWN. [HOLD UP LISTING ] (PAUSE) THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY IN THIS COUNTRY IS NOT PREPARED TO RESPOND TO A STEADY ONSLAUGHT OF ARTICLES IN THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE THAT CONDEMNS E-T-S AS A HEALTH HAZARD THAT CAN BE DEALT WITH ONLY BY SMOKING BANS. WE ARE NOT PREPARED BECAUSE...SCIENTISTS WILL NOT BUCK FOR LOVE WHAT THE WASHINGTON POST JUST LAST WEEK CALLED THE "SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS" ABOUT E-T-S AS A HEALTH HAZARD. IT TAKES MONEY. AND OVER THE LAST 24 MONTHS...BUDGET CONSTRAINTS HAVE FORCED US TO CURTAIL OUR EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY AND TRAIN QUALIFIED ACADEMIC SCIENTISTS WHO ARE CAPABLE OF PUBLISHING...INTERACTING WITH THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY ...AND REPRESENTING THIS INDUSTRY BEFORE CONGRESS AND THE REGULATORY AGENCIES. (PAUSE) LAST YEAR ...DURING THE FOUR SHORT MONTHS THAT WE WERE AUTHORIZED TO IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC SMOKING PROGRAM...WE SUCCEEDED IN IDENTIFYING FIVE ADDITIONAL INDEPENDENT CONSULTANTS WHO HAVE BECOME INVALUABLE IN OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE WITNESS PROGRAM AND IN WORKING WITH THE MEDIA. (PAUSE)
THEY DO AN OUTSTANDING JOB FOR US IN THESE ROLES...AND THEY ARE VITAL TO OUR PUBLIC SMOKING PROGRAM. BUT...THEY DO NOT HAVE PEER STANDING IN THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY IN SCIENTIFIC CIRCLES. FOR THIS PROJECT ...WE NEED PEOPLE WITH AN ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH BACKGROUND. RIGHT NOW...WE HAVE NO ONE. (PAUSE) THANKS IN LARGE PART TO THE RESEARCH PROGRAMS IN YOUR COMPANIES...WE HAVE THE BASE OF INFORMATION WE NEED TO ATTACK THESE BIASED RESEARCH ARTICLES ON E-T-S. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE NO ONE TO PACKAGE THAT INFORMATION AND TO SELL IT. THE INSTITUTE CAN'T DO IT AND BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. WE NEED PEOPLE WHO HAVE EARNED REPUTATIONS AS SERIOUS RESEARCHERS...WHO CAN REVIEW AND CRITIQUE ARTICLES ...PUBLISH...AND ACT AS PEER REVIEWERS. RIGHT NOW...WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO FIND THOSE PEOPLE AND PUT THEM TO WORK. THIS IS NOT AN INEXPENSIVE PROJECT. EACH POTENTIAL SCIENTIFIC CONSULTANT MUST BE FULLY BRIEFED ON THE LITERATURE. FOR EVERY ONE SCIENTIST WHO MAKES THE FINAL CUT...AS MANY AS NINE DON'T. MANY SIMPLY DON'T WANT TO WORK FOR THIS INDUSTRY...OTHERS DON'T PASS IMPORTANT LEGAL AND PRODUCT LIABILITY TESTS. HISTORY TELLS US THAT IT COSTS ON AVERAGE ABOUT $40,000 TO IDENTIFY AND BRING UP TO SPEED A SINGLE EXPERT BEFORE THAT INDIVIDUAL IS AVAILABLE TO WORK WITH US. THE TRAINING PROCESS--ONCE THE INDIVIDUAL IS IDENTIFIED--TAKES ABOUT SIX WEEKS. IF WE DON'T MAKE THAT EFFORT...NO ONE ELSE WILL. WE ARE PREPARED TO TAKE ON THE ASSIGNMENT OF IDENTIFYING AND TRAINING NEW ACADEMIC SCIENTISTS...BUT WE NEED YOUR COMMITMENT OF NEW AND CONTINUED FUNDING...TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM. (PAUSE) THIS IS NOT A PROGRAM THAT WE CAN FUND WITHIN THE EXISTING INSTITUTE BUDGET. WE HAVE ALREADY MADE FAR TOO MANY CUTS AND TRADE-OFFS THERE. AT OUR JANUARY MEETING, WE TOLD YOU ABOUT THESE CUTS...ABOUT 20% OF OUR BUDGET...THERE WERE CONCERNS RAISED THEN ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO FIGHT THE EXCISE TAX BATTLE...FOR EXAMPLE. SINCE THAT TIME,WE HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TO FIND AN ADDITIONAL $800,000 TO PAY FOR "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" ADVERTISING. THE NEXT CUTS ...WILL COME FROM OUR WITNESS PROGRAMS...THE EXPERTS WHO ARE OUR FRONT LINE OF DEFENSE IN THE PUBLIC SMOKING,TAX AND ADVERTISING HEARINGS EVERY DAY. (PAUSE) GENTLEMEN ..TO BEGIN TO BRING BACK THE FIRST-RATE SCIENTIFIC CONSULTANT PROGRAM WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO DEVELOPING THREE YEARS AGO...WOULD COST AN ESTIMATED $1.4 MILLION THIS YEAR...FOR THAT SUM...WE WOULD PROPOSE TO IDENTIFY BETWEEN 10 AND A DOZEN SCIENTISTS AND PUT THEM TO WORK WRITING THE ARTICLES AND PARTICIPATING IN THE CONFERENCES. THIS IS NOT A ONE-YEAR COMMITMENT. WE WILL NEED TO BRING IN NEW FACES FOR THOSE WHO ARE BURNED OUT AND TO MAINTAIN THE HIGH LEVEL OF TRAINING AND ACTIVITY WE WOULD LIKE TO ACHIEVE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST A FRACTION OF THE $12 MILLION THIS INDUSTRY HAS DEVOTED TO FINDING ACADEMIC SCIENTISTS OUTSIDE OF THIS COUNTRY...TO DEAL WITH AN ISSUE THAT IS FAR LESS DEVELOPED...IN SMALLER MARKETS. WE CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO INVEST IN THIS PROGRAM. WITHOUT IT...THERE WON'T BE AN ISSUE IN TWO YEARS. IF WE ARE TO GO FORTH...IT WILL REQUIRE THE COMMITMENT OF INDIVIDUAL COMPANIES TO THE PROGRAM. AT OUR LAST COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING, STAFF WAS ASKED TO COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION ON THIS SCIENTIFIC WITNESS PROGRAM. WE PLAN TO DO JUST THAT AT OUR MARCH 22 MEETING. (PAUSE) I WILL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
- Company
- Tobacco Institute
- Author
- Powers, Charles (TI Senior Vice President Public Relations)1989 USA
- Recipient
- Tobacco Institute Executive Committee members
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