Tobacco Documents Online

PREPARED SY, THE', INSTITUTESTAFF' TO INFORM THE INDUSTRYOf NEWSWORTHY DEVELOPMENTS. WASH1NGTON Number 125 June 17, 197'5 SENATE'AND HOUSE Commerce Committee cleared for floor actions bills to authorize and clarify Consumer Product Safety Commission activities for the coming year, in- cluding amendments requested by CPSC to reaffirm,that it dbes not have authority toiregulate tobacco., The Senate group okayed an amendment pushed by Sen,. Hart (D- M',ich.), on beh:aIf of furniture mfrs. to permit CPSC to look at tobacco as a potential cause of'uphollstery fires,, but the House committee turned down a similar move. Louisviille. Courier-Journal reported that Hart claimedithat cigarettes cause S'1% of upholstery fires and that Sen., Holling,s (D-S.C.) called this "pure nonsense." MEANWH:ILE',, attorneys argiued in U.S. District Court over the furniture mfrs." suit to compel CPSC to regulate cigarettes instead of their own products. The court's decision is pending., SmokEnder World, a publi- cation of'a commercial anti-tobacco organization, reported,on a speech by Gary Schroeder, of the La-Z Boy Chair:Cb.,, who assertedlly took a position contrary to his industry's official vi~ew i~n saying that "The Congress handed'the CP3C the job of'reducing carpet„ mattress and upholstery fires, but withheld jurisdiction over the major ignition source, the ci.garrette."' IN A RELATE'D DEVELOPMENT,, Jud'ge Gasch ordbredl CPSC' to go aheadland'take up the:Moss petition: to regulate "tar"- nicotine yields, but delayed the effective,date of the ordor 60 days, apparently, in view of the pending legislation which could moot the case.. VERY HUMOROUS INTERVIEW with Sen. Eagleton (D-Mo.) carried in the Ran- sasiCity Star pertaining to the "seIf-extinguishiing,cigarette" con- cluded wi'th, his comment: "I'm sure the government wi,L'l' persist in its efforts to help us poor, inept ctitizen's'live our lives the way we should;, if only,they show us the wzy. "

-2- REMARKS by Rep. Jones (D-N.C.): to the 29th,annual meeting of the:F'lue- CuredlTobacco Cooperative Stabilization Corp. were inserted in the Con- giressional Record by Rep.Andrews (D-Ni.C.). Jones said he combats the constant threat to the tobacco pro- giram with, the truth, and as an example he said, "The urban con- gressmen,, who are willing to take the time to listen and',Zearn that to- bacco produces surely by this time in excess of $6 billion per year in taxes at the national, state and local levels, are often speechl'ess when I challenge them to tell me how they,would replace this revenue."' ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY publicly apoligized to the American Farm Bureau for issuing ph'ony,, hearsay statistics on injury and deathh to farm workers from pesticides. PREVENTIVE,MEDIiCSNE CONFERENCEIheld at the National Insti- tutes of Health heard'Dr. Norton Nelson of NYU Medical C'en- ter say that efforts to curb "misuse"'of drugs, alcohol, cig- arettes~and other substances had been nearly totally inef- fective. Report by the New,York Times said a panel headed by Nelson will probably state, °Far more effective and reliable techniques for changing the heal'tYi-related behavi'or of the public are required." N'ONSP10'kfR ISSUE STATE SMOKING BAN BILLS: Florida anti-smoking house bills (Newsletter 12'1)died with adjourn- ment. The Nevada legislature approved a measure prohibiting smoking in public meetings, buses, elevators and,libraries.Violations will draw fines up to $100. The Oregon legislature passed a bill to ban smoki~ng on elevators used by the public with fines up to $50 for either smoking or failing to post "'no smok,ing" signs. COUNTIES: Oran. e County (Caliif.)' Board of Supervisors rou- tinely approved sweepiingiamendments (Newsletter 124) to ex- pand the county's anti-smoking ordinance. The Board of Comr- missioners in Saginaw County (Mich.) acted not only to ban smoking in,its.meeting`s_Fu_tstated in the approvedlresolu- tion that nonsmokers should take action to discourage smok- ing in public places and to look at legal methods to,re- strict smoking in public buil'dings. CITIES: A,reso:lution.seeking voluntary segregation of smokers andinon-. smokers in public meetings, restaurants and taverns was approved by the: Cincinnati Board of Health. Consideration of mandatory regulation was suspendedlindefinitely. Vancouver (Wash.); city council members:were forced to initiate smoking ban during their meetings when aispectator complained they were ignoring state regulations (Newsletter 119). TEXAS NO-SMOKE LEGISLATION (Newsletter 123) , has drawn editorial comment: • Fort Worth Evening Star-Telegram--"Mrzybe the new law will help., But' we can see how it could be almost impossible to enforce. %eepingg the smokes out of all the eZevators„ theaters;, libraries, museums„ hos- pitals,, buses,, planes,, trains and'schools in Texas wouZd'require an im- possibLe amount of law enf,orcement. "'

-3- • Houston Chronicle-- "There was a strong sentiment' for the laws or they would:have never been passed, but obviously the state and city cannot organize anti-smoking patrols: The taxpayers, both,smokers and non- smokers, wouldn't stand for that." NO FZNES have been levied in Nebraska during the year its anti-smoking law, (Newsletter, 93) has beeniin effect. But, according to alreport from the Omaha Morning WorTd-Herald, the bill's author, State Sen. Shirle y Marshysaid: "My,intent was not to have people arrested,, i.t waa to rai'se the social awezreness that nonsmok'ers also have rights. To a great extent' the Zaw. 3ias done that. "' ANOTHER RESTAURANT'in Seattle (Newsletter 122) reports that in three months, with 30,000 customers served, seven re- quested seating in its no-smoking section. NONSMOKERS are being encouraged to ask to be seated in nonsmoking sec- tions of restaurants by the:Norfolk County (M'ass.,)-Newton Lung Assn,. If the establishment,doesn't,have one, they are instructed to suggest they set one up. HERE'"S WHAT THEY TALKED ABOUT at a recent meeting of the Kenoshai(Wisc.) chapter of Group Against Smoker,s' Pollution (GASP), according to the local daily: r Lots:of retai~lers are putting up no-smoke signs and the Wel- come Wagon folks will distribute them. A Canadian study said to show smoking speeds blood clots. • A Jack Anderson report that President Ford ordered 80 ash trays'for Air Force One.and the backup plane at $50 each., • Forms that are avaiilable to report (to the;Civil Aeronautics Board) smoking infractions on airliners. • Remarks by a local minister that kissing aigirl who smokes is llike licking out an ashtray full of "stalie butts." • ((Etc.)). MEDIA amine. . proposaZs NATIONAL ASSNi. OF BROADCASTERS said aicommi'ttee of its Television Codie Review Board will "ex- for guidelines relating to special sports progrznns nzvned after cigarette companies ((and)) the display of devices involving cigarette companies." Bi7RCHi CONTINUES' to battle theorists in, Britishimedical jour- nal letter columns (Newsletter 123) with:letter in M'ay 3 Lancet as example of heated exchanges. "Sir.• May I point aut to Dr. Harrison (Aprii Z9, p,9T7) that although cigarette smoking increases morbidity from cRronie:bronchitis we cannot infer that it must also raise!mort'aL'ity from that disease., Not ala'patients:with, chronic bronchitis die from it. The numbers of deaths reported:carrong smoking=di.scordant twins are as of yet in- sufficient to assess the effects of'smoking; on mortality from ehronic b'ronchi!tis.. However; when deaths from all causes are considered collectively, the twins studies have so far faiZed to impZicate smoking,as a causal lethal factor. Unaccountably Dr., Harrison chooses to ignore my concZusion (April 5, p.797) which I would:like to repeat: ((etc.))"

-4- JUNE READER'S:DIGEST carries a condensation of Boston Globe''s David Kemp article calling cigarette advertising "the most blatant,, widespread aFO7dangerous case of deception in advertising today" and saying "strong new fed- eral action is needed." JAMA "MEDICAL NEWS" item includes notation: "The Public Health. Service poster 'Z00,d00 doctors have quit'smok'ing cigarett'es." still is in evidenee, but exact figures on physician smokers, qjuitters,, reducers, and recidivists are hard to come by." "WE PHYSICIANS," said a recent Journal of the Medical Society of New Jersey editorial, "are still not setting the best. exampl'e despite the marked gen- eral reduction!in the use of tobacco by, the medical professi'on.. Boards of trustees and adrhinistrative staffs should be pressured into establishing proper restrietive regulations." LADY WROTE the Wash,ington,Post to urge equipping~bus drivers with radios so they could summon police to nab smokers. A few days later; D.C.- City Council outlawed, on buses and the ^ soon-to-be subway, spitting, eating, drinkingl„ smoking, play- ing radios,, littering,,, carrying live animalis or combustible liquids or acids or explosives, and the transit system an- nounced plans to equip vehicles,with two-way, si~lent alarm radios to summon police "'to:deal with,rowdy customers." INDUSTRY SOME',10'Q1SECURSTY ANALYSTS attending Jack Maxwell's 1975 Tobacco Seminar last week in Richmond,heard three scientists and an attorney on the cig,arette/health issue:: • Dr. L'ouis A., Soloff, cardiology professor and:researcher, Temple Ui., said he was not "for tobacco," but felt strongly that "we have no conclusive evidence that either indicts or exonerates smoking so far as heart disease is concerned.,"' • Pharmacology Prof. Domingo M'. Aviado, U., of' P&., discussedl conflicting evidence in respiratory disease causation, the annoyance vs. true tobacco allergy factor in the nonsmokerr issue and concluded: "It seems impractical: ((t'o try)) to protect the.peopl'e„concernecl by.prohibiting public smoking,.rr „r.. ~ •;Dr. Hiram T. Langston, thoracic surgeon and professor, U. of. Ill., listed eight reasons he cannot accept the causall hy- pothesis in Lung cancer. r pon, Hoel of Shook, Hardy andiBacon, wound it all up with, the claim that statistical associations "invite inquiry, but they do not answer it." Also speaking: Tax Council"s O:''Flaherty said 36 states hadicigarette taxes in 1974 amounting to more than the basic per-pack cost. TP"s Kloepfer outlined the Washington,scene and concluded,, "'it is reasonably certain" there are some g:ovt, agencies not yet concernedlwith cigarettes and cited the Bureau!of Mines and the CIA as examples.

-5- WILLIAM H. HECHT,, 41, former exec. asst. to the chairman of House Internal Security Comm.,, has jpinedlthe governmental relations staff of TI. TI'S PROMO:FOLDER, "Leaf"', was j'udged best single direct mail piece sub- mitted in a,D.C'. advertising competition. RESEARCH CANCER IMMUNOLOGY'LABORATORIES at Washington Univ. published a bound,volume of reprints of all papers prepared by its researchiteam since 11971. Foreward by uni- versity Chancellor William H. Danforth acknowledged support by tobacco mfrs, and growers, calling them "far-sighted" and saying their action "is a model that othersmight well ponder and emulate."' STATISTICAL STUDY'on cigarette smoking,, tar content,, and death- rates from lung cancer in Australian men was submittedlto Lan- cet's letter columns by Nigel Gray and'David' Hil~l of the Anti- Cancer Council of Victoria in East Melbourne." Their'research (like research in the U.S.--Newsletter 117) indicates there is a reduction in the death-rate in men between ages 5I51and 64 since 1970. Theiir explanation: "The existence of a substantial population in this age group which gave up smoking 5 or more years ago, plus the steady reduction in tar content of cigarette smoke, provides an acceptable explanation for the fall in death rates..." RECENT,El7IDENCE,, reported Dr. Joseph Fraumeni of the National Cancer,Institute:,, suggests that some families are susceptible to groups of apparently unrelated cancers. He cited:studies in the past three years turniingiup families with genetic de- fects that appear to transmit a disposition to more thanione form~ of cancer., He also said':a recent survey strengthened the notion that some,families are prone to cancers of the same site". The risk,among close relatives was found to be about three-fold for most adult cancers. CIGARETTE~SMOKING IDENTICAL TWINS are being sought by Toronto medical researchers headed by Dr. Colin Woolf to study whether inherited,factors decide whether a smoker will get bronchitis and emphysema or whether it is entirely the result of environ- mental factors, according to the Ottawa Journal. FOREIGN' HEALTHMINISTER DR. DAVIiD OWEN toTdithe House of Commons that no clear evidence has yet been published to show that tobacco smoke is harmful to normally healthy nonsmokers or that a heavily tobacco smoke laden atmosphere has other than a transient effect,, according to the "Medical News" column of the British Mediical, Journal. BELGIUM'S CIGARETTE MANUFACTURERS and importers have agreedl to apply aihealth warning notice on all packs of cigarettes after October 1. The govt. is cooperating to the extent of, not makiingi its requiired notice effective until retailers can, sell their unlabeled stock. ff~ O ® ~ ~'. ~. ~ ~ ` =

-6- AUSTRALIAN GOVT. has introduced legislation which,would require that promotional T-sh,irts, along with all vi~suali cigarette advertising,. carry a message that smoking is a health hazard.. HtALTHIORGANI'ZATIONS TAXES Times-News., notes that "Members of' many women's organizations such as the Presque Isr'e Women"s Club, Hamot Aid'Society,, Playhouse Wing,, Philharmonic A'uxiZiary, Civic Nurse Associiztion and'.churah gxoups are assisting in the study." The study, begun last year (apparently by Edinboro State College) with the support of the cancer, heart and lung assns. and an environmental,group,is "concerned with in- formation on relatives of those who have passed away" in,then past 101years. The paper reports that "Did the person. ., .euer smoke? ...parents,ever smoke?' ...,roork in,a job where there were smoke-fiZl'ed rooms?" are among the survey questions the "study" is undertaking. NATIiONAL:CANCER INSTITUTE reportedly is promoting a signito be distributed to 16,0001pedi~atricians throughout the country by NCI and the American Academy of Pediatrics which readsi: "FOR'THEIHEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN PLEASE DON,'T SMOKE." crease on STORY ABOUT ""Northwestern, Pennsylvania Study onSmoki~ngi an,di Heallth", carried in the Erie MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE'passed an omnibus tax bill which includes a 5-cent-a-pack in- cigarettes effective July 1. PROPOSAL in the New York state legislature would enable NYC to preempt i~ts:present "tar" and nicotine:tax with a 4-cent increase of the municiplle cigarette tax. City tax wouldd total 8-cents-per-pack on all brands. ST.LOUIS Board of Aldermen approved a cigarette tax increase from 5'to 6: cents a pack., --- - I 7fnn~- C,1ncT,-uTrc I IU AN EXCLUSIVE REPORT from Pearce Wright,, the FvD„t.w .,uooI ,1U I ~Q I L d Ti i t ~ - on on mes sc lence correspon n t 1e claim ,~i is made that cigarette manufacturers willl decide soon whether to aban- d'on the development of a cigarette made frominew smoking materials. To prove that cigarettes made from these are less likely to cause lung cancer than those made from tobacco could' cost several million poundlsmore and require the use of at least 10,000 beagles or comparable ani- mals such as chimpanzees, the report said. Tobacco industry scienti- fic adviisers are said' to believe that experiments on this scale mightt be necessary to meet U.K., govt., requirements„ # #'#