Tobacco Documents Online

i 96 Coalifion on Smoking OR Health A PUFLIC POLICY PROJECT WITH THE NATIONAL INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON SMOKING AND HEALTH 419 7TH STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON. D.C. 20004 snES.c conewrrte '~ ,e... o ...~.. c~.o, .oco~ March 16, 1982 .~.~.<m c~.. so~w = mbn6 W.ymrtir • .n..om.vqnuo~4w. if0~n M pdpiWly. l. M D.. M.D. ~ Obrnf~. Na~u.a niwcpw. cu.c+c~ s.b..w ~ wa~ FORMER FTC COUNSEL TO STAFF ron ~saaM~nw caa.cr. Matthew L. Myers (202) 393-4446 COALITION ON SMOKING OR HEALTH WASHINGTON, March 16 -- The "Coalition on Smoking OR Health," recently formed to advance the cause of smoking prevention in the United States, has retained Matthew L. Myers, former staff attorney for the Federal Trade Commission as its staff director, it was announced today. The Washington- based coalition, which is backed by thirty of the nation's leading health, education and youth leadership organizations, will bring i smoking prevention issues to the attention to legislators and federal .~ officials and will promote support for federal smoking prevention educa- tion programs, according to John D. Kessler, chairman of the coalition's ~ steering committee. - , "We are immensely pleased that Mr. Myers has agreed to serve as our staff director" Kessler said. Myers directed the FTC's Staff Report on Cigarette Advertising,released in 1981. -More- . 0\ "CIGARETTE SMOKMG IS THE SWGLE MOST PREVENTABLE CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES" 97 Coalition - Page Two "The Coalition on Smoking OR Health serves as the arm of the National Interagency Council on Smoking Kessler said. NICSE[ is a voluntary association of in 1967 to inform the public about the dangers of The coalition will work closely with three major v izations -- the American Cancer Society, the Ameri and the American Lung Association. Testifying today in support of S. 1929 before the Labor and Human Resources was Charles A. LeMaistrc the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Hospital anc "The Coalition on Smoking OR Health represents a our nation's most prestigious health agencies out tragic consequences to Americans of smoking," Dr. The coalition stands ready to work closely with C at all levels to see that information on the haz.: all segments of the American public,he added. Robert M. Daugherty, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., chairman c "through the Coalition on Smoking OR Health we ho; initiatives and activities on smoking and health dean of the school of medicine at the University -More-

Coalition - Page Two 97 "The Coalition on Smoking OR Health serves as the public policy action arm of the National Interagency Council on Smoking and Health (NICSH)," ;essler said. NICSH is a voluntary association of leading groups formed in k:;ti7 to inform the public about the dangers of cigarette smoking. Thv coalition will work closely with three major voluntary health organ- izitions -- the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association. Testifying today in support of S. 1929 before the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources was Charles A. LeMaistre, M.D., President of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute. "The Coalition on Smoking OR Health represents a banding together of our nation's most prestigious health agencies out of concern for the tragic consequences to Americans of smoking," Dr. LeMaistre said. The coalition stands ready to work closely with Congress and government at all levels to see that information on the hazards of smoking reaches all segments of the American public,he added. Robert M. Daugherty, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the NICSH said, "4hrough the Coalition on Smoking OR Health we hope to encourage federal Initiatives and activities on smoking and health." Dr. Daugherty is dean of the school of medicine at the University of Nevada at Reno. -More- 0 e

i 98 Coalition - Page Three "Although the prevalence of smoking is declining," Dr. Daugherty said, "we do not underestimate the difficulty of the task that lies ahead." He added, "The tobacco industry, with its vast resources, is very good at waging campaigns designed to create diversion and doubt in the minds- of the public." "To counter the immense determination of the tobacco industry to keep Americans smoking, our limited resources must be effectively coordinated and the interface with the federal sector maintained," he said. "We hope the coalition will serve to focus our efforts in this critical public health area." - Dr. LeMaistre noted that the lack of information on the health hazards of smoking had contributed to the health and economic costs of cigarette smoking which are estimated at 340,000 premature deaths, health injuries to an estimated 10 million Americans and costs of $41 billion in medical care and economic productivity. "Can there be any question,"he asked," that cigarette smoking is the . .;~~ single most preventable cause of illness and death in the United 3tates?" x: Dr. LeMaistre noted that scientific evidence is overwhelming that cigar- ette smoking causes cancer of the lung, larynx, esophagus, urinary bladder, mouth and pancreas; causes emphysema and chronic bronchitis; is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease; is associated with retarded fetal growth; and is an increased risk for spontaneous abortion and prenatal - death. 99 .LMERICAN~ LUNGASSOCIATION The'CMstmas Seaf People • ,Broadway • New York, N.Y. 10019 • (212)245-8000 Statement of the American Lung Associ; to the House Subcommittee on Health - the Environment on H.R. 5653, the Comprehensive Smoking Prevention Educat Presented by Stephen Ayres, M.D. March 5, 1982 I am here to testify in support of H.R. 5653 in m board member of the American Lung Association anc ization's Comoittee on Smoking and Health. In my am Professor and Chairman of the Department of Me University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missour Although the majority of Americans are aware that to health, there is still confusion--even skeptic Much of this confusion is created and perpetrated- the tobacco industry, whose spokespeople constant seeking access to media of all kinds. What they : that there is a smoking "controversy" about the h( smoking, that the link between cigarette smoking e istical and therefore suspect, even non-existent. The facts, of course, are quite otherwise. The 1' and disease is one.of the most thoroughly document I am introducing into evidence--but will not read recent findings from laboratories around the worlc relationship between cigarette smoking and human c different types of studies--30,000 in all and stil have been performed: epidemiologic studies of dea on effects of stopping smoking; studies of lung fL tion of tissues at autopsy in smokers and nonsmoke In this country alone, 340,000 pecple die prematur the effects of cigarette smoking. (1) At the American Lung Association we are constantly going and new research about the hazards of smokin and smokers. We are alarmed, for example, about r of cigarette smoke and its effects on smokers them their vicinity. Alpha emitters polonium-2T0 and 1 concentrated on tobacco trichomes and insoluble pa smoke. The major source ot the polonium is phosph: in growing the tobacco. (2) ' ~..a u.n. W ~mmrae L,m[ AuocLYw irlWa.m11.W a„xuuw, O.uyGem W V 1.. W,- ,e