Tobacco Documents Online

PREPARED !Y. THE", INSTITUTE STAFF TO. INFORM THE: , INDUST'RY' OF NEWSWORTHY DEVELOPMENTS . Number 1130 August 26, 19'75' END TO TOBACCO SUPPORT PROGRAMS was called for by a Nader group in letters to the President and Congressional leaders. In an accompanying report by'a summer in- tern,, Public Citizen's Health Research Group said the fedpral program is "subsidizing diisease and death~in the name of the small tobacco farmer." First-day story quoted Rep. Peyser (R-N.Y.),,, long, a foe of tobacco supports (Newsletter 109), applauding the report. Replied Rep. Jones (D-N.G.), chairman of the House tobacco subcommittee:: "Their pro- posa3' wouZd'be counterproductive to accomplishing their own anti-tobacco objective.. Rather than diminishing smoking,, the elimination of tobacco supports would'Fead'to more tobacco production', lower prices, and in turn to increased smoking...Tobacco smoking,is a gigantic red herring being dragged'across the trail of scientific re- search. It is disheartening:to see Mr. Nader and his group helping to pu11 the fish'y, carcass." WASHIfWGTOW ShortDy thereafter, syndicated broadcast commentator Jeffrey St.: John tookN:aderto task:for "quietly'1!obby,ing" iniWa'sh-ington,for a bill,"t'hat would open,up-the public purse for funding, consumer groups:"' "Nader's denunciation of tobacco subsidies whil'e pri- vately seeking,subsi'di'es for his industries is blowing smoke in the conr sumer's face,,"' said' St. John. _ PRESIDENT FORD, inia letter to Seni. Helms (R-N!.C.) regarding proposal accompanying HEW smoking report to outlaw highi"tar" cigarettes (News- Ile tter 129):, said:: "As the Secretary has indicated, the views expressed in the transmittal' letter are his own. They are not intended't'o represent the Administra- tion's views'on Federal regulation of cigarettes. The Administration has not pro- posed'legisTation on this subject." USDA ANNQUNCED RESEARCH AWARDS with a release that said scien- t'Lsts' i n Ky. and N'.Y', will "seek ways to make the,t'obacco in cigar- ettes safer for humans..." INTERESTINGITESTIMON'Y'ON GOVT., RESEARCH was given during a one-day Foodi and Drug Administration hearing on a proposal to require a warning labeIl on oraT~ diabetic drugs. UPI reported that one self-d'escribed: "very re- luctant witness" said that the govt. investigation of the dirugs took on'

-2- almost a vendetta approach where a particular drug was involved. The witness claimed that one of the investigators,in a controlling position was a paid consultant for a firm that was a "major competitor" to that drug. HOUSEITOBACCO SUBCOMMITTEE voted, duri'.ng,an unusual congres- siional recess session, to report a bill to the full Agricul- ture Committee which would raise the price support for both Burley and Flue-cured tobacco. c FORETGN BRITISH CIGARETTE 2+IFGRS., operating since 1962' under a voluntary, self-poliiced advertising code, announced agreement on new gciidelines to be interpreted by the. Code of Advertising Practice under the general supervision of the Ad- vertising Standards Authority, a body composedimainly of magazine and newspaper representatives. Essence,of the revisedIcode is that cigarette ads "should not -~exploit those who are especially vu1'nerable, in particutar, young people and those who suffer from any physical,, mental ror social handicap." In short, the product must not appear to make people more,youthfuli, sex,ier, braver, tougher, more sophisticated or successful,, more relaxed or better at their jobs. (One provision: "Persons should not be shown...reach,- ing with extravagant eagerness for a cigarette.")l Although.AP from London emphasized the new guidelines came less thann a week after Health Minister Owen said he was consideringinew controls over tobacco, the Aug. 12'announcement date had been known for some time. A reply by Dr. Owen to a Commons inquiry had been widely read as a threat of legislation to give wide statutory powers over adver- tising, packaging, sponsorship of sporting events, the use of substi- tutes and additives and regulation of "tar", nicotine and carbon monox- ide yielde. SMOKE'AND BE HAPPY of'Great Britain is a new organization of smokers who are so fed!up with govt.-sponsoredianti-smok- ing warnings that they are tryiingito counteract them, says a San~Francisco Chronicle article filed from London.: The story notes that a pamphlet praising the virtues of smoking ; is a runaway national success.^ The smokers" campaign has rec ived a boost from the conclusions of a three-year study of'traffic conditions in Britain which includedi: "Careful analysis of'the results showed t'hat' smokers are more seI'f-re1'iant' and more - extroverted' than nonsmokers." SIX LEADING CI'GARETTE'M'AKERS filed suit against the Federal Trade Commission in a federal dis- trict court in N.Y. seeking a declaratory jiudgment on,the agency's de- cision (Newsletter 129) to seek penalties agai~nst the,manufacturers for alleged violations of a 19:72'consent order relating tolhealth,warnings in advertising materials. Wall Street Journal saidithat among other things the FTC is seeking $,6 mi'llion in penalties from the companies and that the suits, filediseparately by the companies, charge the FTC with improperly chargi~ngithem with noncompliance. INDUSTRY'

-3- ADDISON ADID'ISON YEAM'AN,nas been elected chairman and' president of the Counci~l' for Tobacco, Research-Ui.S.A., Inc., succeeding H. H. Ramm, who has re- tired. TOBACCO CONFERENCEI(Newsletter 125) report, part one, is out and available f'romiMaxwell Associates, 801 East Main St., Richmond, Va. 232'19.The June 9' session, "Correlation.Be- tween Health and Smoking -- How Rea1?", will be excerpted in part,two. NONSM'OKER' ISSUE in committee. third no-smoke consideration. STATE SMOKING BAN BILLS: California Senate killed two House-passed1bills (Newsletter 126) The MichiganiHouse passed and sent to the Senate a measure while the others (Newsletter 128)' still await OTHER ACTION: In Calif., the Bakersfield City Councili unani- mously rejected a no-smoke ordinance...E1 Caj'on,City Council approved,a:no-smoke ordinance for certain public places (with- out making an immediate decision on whether the city shouldi provide the no-smoking signs required')...Long Beach City Coun- cil voted to have the city attorney prepare a resolution ban- ning smoking in the council chambers...and San Diego County Board of Supervisors passedian expansion (Newsletter 129) of its existing no-smoke ordinance by a 3-2 vote. Brentwood (Tenn.)' City Commission turnedidown a proposal which,would -have made it a misdemeanor to smoke in public buildings, each offense -carrying a $50 fine. Hennepin County (Minn.)i Board: got around the problem (Newsletter 119) that the Minneapolis no-smoke law (Newsletter 118) created. They voted'5-0:to permit smoking in,chambers under the authority provided by the new M'inn. state law (Newsletter 129) whichh enables public bodies to designate,smoksng and nonsmoking areas in public buildings. HAWAI~I''SIDIRECTOR OF HEALTHI, George Yuen (Newsletter 120),, has issued a strong no-smoke directive to h,is:department, which states: "Because tobacco smoking is a causative factor in lung cancer, emphysemaiand chronic bronchitis; a risk factor in cardiovas- cular disease, an i.rritant' to people with asthma and'a source of'dis- pleasure and discomfort to many, the Department of Hea3'th,will'Iimit , smoking, in its bui2dings." LIM'ITATION!OF SMOKING on intrastate passenger veh,icl'es,, not to exceed 208' of the vehicles' seating capacities, was approved by the Pennsyl- yania Public Utility Commission., The commission's "findings oflfact" included: • ...that Ieve3's of:poL1'ution:attributable to smoking in confined areas are signifiicantly reduced by adequate ventil'ation. f ...a lack of conclusive scientific evidence:t'hat so-called 'second- hand' smoke is a health hazard to normal nonsmoking,passengers."' COMMISSIONER to~whom the responsibility for enforcement of a Maryland' no-smoke law (Newsletter 121) fell, asked the attorney general"s of- fice about his authority and powers of enforcement. The answer he re- ceived': ...we believe strict enforcement by you of the statute must await furtherr action of the legislature in,giving you the necessary, (((constitutional)) powers..." Q

-4- EXPRESSING DISAPPOINTMENT with the final form of the new Massachusetts no-smoke law (Newsletter 128), its author, State Rep. Lois:Pines, reports the Waltham News-Tribune, said: "Once this law proves its worth, a stronger smoking bill intro- duced in the future will stand a better chance of being passed'by the legislature. Meanwhile, I hope that cities and towns will' pass their own more restrictive smoking laws." EDITORIAL LOOK at new no-smoke laws in,Kani., Minn., and Nev. by the Topeka (IKan. ) State Journal concludes: "Smokers might avoid mandatory laws if they ask if their smoking in public places offends others and refrain if it' does. Both smokers and nonsmokers would appear to have rights in this case." RAMBLING ANTI-SMOKE ARTICLE in the Pensacola (Fla.), News- Journal quotes aniAmerican Cancer Society employee as say- ing: "we have taken a product from the time when it was socially ac- ceptab3e and'moved it to a point' where it is socially unacceptable... we became sort of the heroes behind the scenes for marshaling that -'cause..,.Now we're entering another phase of the smoking battle that is brand new--the rights of nonsmokers.," ANOTHER REPORT from two restaurants located in a Seattle hotel, recording requests for seating iin posted no-smokingiareas, found they, had,a total 4'3' requests out of 35,,607' people served in the month of July. Another restaurant there posted signs that a no-smoke area was avai~l~able and had no requests out of 10,000 people served during,the same month. HEALTH'ORGANIZATION6 FIRST MAJOR REPORT'by the:World Health Organi- zation in five,years said'smoking is responsi- ble for even more medical troubles than was first believed. BYitish Morning Star quoted a WHO assistant director-general"s view that "strong political decis:ions at government 1eve1'a're therefore needed if any, campaign aimed att controlling excessive smoking,is to have a chance of succeeding." AMERICAN LUNG'A'SSN., took advantage of the astronauts'' near- tragic experience with toxic gases on reentry to issue a new release for "earthbound individuals exposed to airborne,chemi- cals" -- like cigarette smoke. ALA medical director suggested "avoiding cigarette smoke and'working,for cZean air in the environment and,the workpl'ace." AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY OFFICIAL,, reports UPIi, says Ca:lif., doctors may have discovered a test to detect a"pre-cancerous condition"'in smokers., The test is~to be discussediat the first meeting of the ACS Task Force on Tobacco and Cancer in Aug. POTOMAC'LUNG ASSN. is operatingia Tole-Lung'health informa- tion system in the metropolitan Washington area which cur- rently consists of 30 topical tapes, three to eight minutes in length, including ones on cigarette smoking and the ef- fects of smoking duringipregnancy, whichiare played for cal- lers at their request. N.Y. STATE'S chief pyschiatrist Jaffe has earnedlheadliines this year with his suggestion that a new term, "compulsive smoking syndrome", be added as an official disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of American Psychiatric Assn., to "automatically diminish the sociall acceptibility of cigarette smoking". Now he's given the Assn. a more

-5- practica2 (for psychiatrists) reason for his proposal, according to the. Ottawa Journal: "the pending national health insurance in the U.B." HEW SMOKING REPORT (Newsletter 129) drew the expected, mixed editorial reactions,, The Utica (N.Y.) Observer-Dispatch wrote, "In general', we are l'eery, of any government attempt to infringe on the private lives of citizens against their wi13.. But in this case we tend to agree:with, HEW'Secretary Weinberger.," Erie (Pa.) Times-News, addressing "Big Brother Casper Weinberger,,"'observed',, "Nonsmokers have rights that should be protected. But' so do smokers." West Palim Beach (Calif. )i Times noted, "The way we see it, thiss creeping regulation of the tobacco industry,could lead eventually to cigarette prohibition", and the Decatur ('I11. ) Herald commentedi,, "One Prohibition Era a century is enough,." OTHER PAPERS ran pubLic reaction stories., Annapolis (Md'.) Capital! ob- served, "'Smokers interviewed in an informal survey yesterday agreed that the... proposaT,to ban cigarettes with high,tar and'nicotine content was either unfair or a further extension of 'big brother'." One man-onrthe-s:treet saidl, "It is', gettingito be 1984 aliready." RALEIGH (N.C.) TIMES endorsed Weinberger's proposal,to out- law high "tar" cigarettes. CLOSE EXAMINATION of the proposed HEW "preventive medicine"'package (Newsletter 129)',, editorializes DanviTle (Va.) Bee, damages the agency's credibility. It goes on to say: "The HEW proposa3'ought to serve one good purpose. It,should'alert,others to this federaZ' agency's never-ceasing efforts to try,and wrap its tentacles around every facet of a person'a Iife and'every industryy in the nation."' "ANTI-SMOKING FANATICS' already have succeeded in banning TV and radio advertising," says an And',erson (S.C.) Independent,editor- iali on.n tobacco: products., "But theyarey moving, onto shakier ground, in demanding a tot'aZ:ban. Smoking:, in'our opinion, is a matter of per- sonal choice." PHILIP BURCH has been credited by the LondoniTimes as trying to reopen the debate on whether cigarette smoking is a major cause of lung,cancer., NBC Radio carried a brief interview with the British researcher from London at 1:23' a.m., said the "4nedical community has remained in what appeared to be a stunned silence" at the Times' story oniBurch and . aired Burch, himself saying, "in my view it's possibZe to say that the majority of the cases of lung cancer are,not caused by cigarette smoking.'"' UPI pickup onn the Burch story said he also doubts the orthodox view that cigarette smoking encourages heart disease,but that he agrees it has &l!ink with chronic bronchitis and prolonged cough, andithat he will expand his views in a book due late in the year. FORT WAYNE JOURNAL-GAZETTE carriedla column headlined "U.N. QUIZ," with aiQland A,format, containing only anti-smoking information from,the WorldlHealth,Organization andithe U.S. govt. It cited the Fort Wayne-Allen County (Ind.) League of Women Voters as source for "further informati~on." "ENDPAPER" IiN,NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE on Aug. 17 featured a cut-out

-6- call'ed!"The Passive Smoker's Gas Mask,"'withia "warning notice" stating, "The Surgeon Genera3 Has Determined That Nonsmoking Can Be Hazardous to Your Hea3th,l in the Vicinity of Smokers." "QUIT" CAMPAIGNS I 5-DAY PLAN has been adapted to: dial-a-recording system of 60-second telephone messages by a Seventh-Day Adventist,church in Gtand Rapids, Mich. The Grand Rapids Press reported that the day-and-night recordings, changed!frequentl!y, are also used in other cities. "LET'S CALL IT QUITS!," title of new Paramount Pictures-pro- duced American Cancer Society movie, features pop TV star in sit-com setting and promotes ASC stop-smoke literature. RESEARCH LUNG CANCER DETECTI~ON TEST has been announced by Dr. Fred Ayvazian,who said he and Dr. Rosa- 1?n Yal!wo develioped a technique that can be used' on a mass screening basis. According to UPI report, the rel!iability of the test was con- firmedion cancer and emphysema patients in a Veterans Administration haspital' and on smoking:animals fromiother VA laboratories., Ayvazian is chief of'the pulmonary section of the East Orange,,N.J., VA hospi- tal and a professor of medicine and'Ya1wo is director of the,Bronx, N~.Y.,VA hospital research lab. A,LPHA, RADIATION! emitting from tiny insoluable particles in- gested!from tobacco may not only bring on cancer but contri- bute to early atherosclerosis, hypothesizes Colo..radiochem- ist Edward Martell in an American Scientist article. Boulder Camera reported!that an Energy Research and!Development of'- fici~al, commenting on article, said, '"r was very, surprised that '' the American Scientist agreed to publish it. I feel that he offered no evidence as proof of his al'legations.'"' FINAL FOLLOW-UP REPORT of the Western Collaborative Group Study reaf- firmed earlier coronary heart disease studies among 3,500 Calif. menn classified by Type A (aggressive, hard-drivinqi) and Type B (less time- driven, more relaxed) individual!s. Reporting in Journal of the Ameri- can Medical! Assn. Group Study director Rosenmanisaid Type A behavior pattern is strongly related to CHD incidence, as is:smoking, add;ing, "The results also confirm that ((the Type A):) relationship is not' the artifact' of the associationiof the behavior pattern with other risk factors and'suggest that the pathogenetic force of Type Albehavior on the CHD incidence,is due primarily to factors other thanithe classicaT risk factors, perhaps operating through various neurohormonal pathways." - THAT ANDREWS UNIV. CLINICAL STUDY pertaining to smoking's effect on the middle ear was tied by UPI to TI''s:response to the HEW smoking report (Newsletter 129) was done by audi- ologist Stephen,Prescod!, who said he doesn't have any copies of his research for TI but that there will be a "layman's version" in the next issue of Listenipublicat.ion of the Sev- enth-Day Adventists aimed at young people. $'~I #