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UP-090 (CIGARETTES AND CANCER) WASHINGTON (UPI) -- PRESIDENT FORD TODAY EXPREoSED INTEREST IN THE POSSIBILITY OF REGULATING BY LAW THE TAR AND NICOTINE CONTENT OF CIGARETTES. HE ASKED THE NATHONAL CANCER ADVISORY BOARD TO PROVIDE FOR HIM BY DEC. 1-SCIENTIFIC ADVICE ON THIS IMPORTANT MATTER OF PUBLIC CONCERN.- FORD DISCLOSED THAT THE BOARD HAS PROPOSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT REGULATE TAR AND NICOTINE LEVELS, PRESUMABLY BY BANNING FROM THE MARKET CISARETTES WHICH ARE DEEMED TO PRODUCE AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT. RECENT REPORTS SHOW THAT CIGARETTE PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION HAS RISEN ABOUT TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS WHEN THE LINK BETWEEN CIGARETTE SMOXING AND LUNG CANCER WAS FIRST ASSERTED BY THE SURGEN GENERAL 10 YEARS AGO. FORD'S REQUEST CAME IN A LETTER TO DR. JONATHAN RHOADS, A HIGHLY REGARDED CANCER EXPERT WHO CHAIRS THE BOARD. NOTING THE BOARD'S RECOMMENDATION, FORD ASKED THAT THE IT REVIEW THE EXISTING SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE ON AN URGENT BASIS AND PROVIDE ME WITH AN ASSESSMENT OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH THERE EXISTS A SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR RESPONSIBLE REGULATION OF CIGARETTES.- FORD DID NOT COMMIT HIMSELF TO ACTING ON THE PROPOSAL. -IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT OUR JUDGMENTS BE SOUNDLY BASED SO THAT WE MAY PROCEED WITH THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF WISDOM,- WROTE FORD, A - HEAVY AND HABITUAL PIPE SMOKER. UPI 10-18 02:02 PED. i####f#iii OUR' REPLY TO THE MEDIA ~ THE TOBACCO INSTITUTE FEELS THAT ANY MOVE WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO AN 0 ~ OBJECTIVE REVHEW OF THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE IPXXXX IS A STEP IN ~ L1 THE RIGHT DIRECTION DICTATED TO UPI AND WRNL RICHMOND AT 4 PM 10-18 B Q co