Communism Causes Cancer

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Communism Causes Cancer

Date: 20 Nov 1967
Length: 1 page
TIMN0272537
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Abstract

This one-page Tobacco Institute document is the text of a proposed print ad designed to confuse the public about the link between smoking and lung cancer. It was one of five ads drafted and tested by Ted Bates & Company, Inc. Advertising for the Tobacco Institute in the wake of the publication of the 1967 Surgeon General's Report, The Health Consequences of Smoking. A partial quote from the document:

"COMMUNISM CAUSES CANCER

You don't believe it? Well, wait a second. Let's use the same kind of statistical analysis the Public Health Service is using to 'prove' that cigarettes cause cancer. We'll use only statistical facts taken from bona fide population surveys.

1. Americans smoke a lot and some of them die of lung cancer. The Dutch smoke less than Americans, but more of them die of lung cancer.

2. The Australians smoke a lot and some of them die of lung cancer. The British smoke as much as the Australians, but twice as many British have lung cancer...

One statistical inference is very clear. In each pair of countries, the higher cancer rate is in the country closer to the Iron Curtain...By the same means that some public servants are using to indict cigarettes, we've just proved that Communism causes cancer. But you know and we know, Communism is not guilty. And nobody yet knows about cigarettes."

Fields

Notes

We are unable to find any evidence that this ad was actually printed.

Quotes

COMMUNISM CAUSES CANCER

You don't believe it? Well, wait a second. Let's use the _same_ kind of statistical analysis the Public Health Service is using to "prove" that cigarettes cause cancer. We'll use only statistical facts taken from bona fide population surveys.

1. Americans smoke a lot and some of them die of lung cancer. The Dutch smoke _less_ than Americans, but _more_ of them die of lung cancer.

2. The Australians smoke a lto and some of them die of lung cancer. The British smoke as much as the Australians, but _twice_ as many British have lung cancer.

3. The Norwegians don't smoke a lot, but some die of lung cancer. The Finns smoke the same as the Norwegians and _twice_ as many Finns die of lung and bronchial cancer.

One statistical inference is very clear. In each pair of countries, the higher cancer rate is in the country closer to the Iron Curtain.

By the same means that some public servants are usin to indict cigarettes, we've just proved that Communism causes cancer. But you know and we know, Communism is not guilty _And nobody yet knows about cigarettes._

THE TOBACCO INSITUTE of lung cancer.

Company

Tobacco Institute

Author

Bates, Ted¹ (Founder of Ted Bates & Co., Advertising (died 1972))

Recipient

Tobacco Institute²

Region

United States

Litigation

Minnesota Ag

Type

Subject

Effects—Smoking Behavior (Effects)

Annotations

1. Bates, Ted Author

Affiliation:
Ted Bates

2. Tobacco Institute Recipient

Affiliation:
Tobacco Institute

Document Images

Page 1: TOB09929.02

666 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK, N, Y, |0019 TELEPHONE JUDSON 6-0600 COPY DEPT. CLIENT ~OBACC0 i~:STITUTE ~,n~LICA'nO N PRINT ~o~ Iss,.~ ] ]/20/67 ......................... COi.2.2LE~-iSM CAUSES CA~ICisR ~-- You don't believe it? Well, wait a second. Let's use the s~e kind of statistical analysis the Public Health Service is using to "prove" that cigarettes cause cancer. We'll use only statistical facts taken from bona fide population surveys. 1. Americans s=oke a lot and some of them die of lung cm~cer. The Dutch smoke less than Americans, but more~ of them die of lung cancer. 2. The Australians smoke a lot and some of them die of lung cancer. The British smoke as much as the Australians, but twice as many British have lung cancer. 3o The Norwegians don't smoke a lot,. but some die of lung cancer. The Finns smoke the same as the l~orwegians and twice as many Finns die of lung and bronchial cancer. One statistical inference is very clear. In each pair of countries, the higher cancer rate is in the country closer to the Iron Curtain. By the same mesns that some public servants are using to indict cigarettes, we've just proved that Communism causes cancer. But you know ~d we know, Communism is not guilty. An~ nQbody ~et knows abgut cigarettes. THE TOBACCO INSTITUTE. CONFIDENTIAL: MINNESOTA T°BACCO LITIGATION TIMN 272537

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