Tobacco Documents Online

HILL eNn KNOWLTON, Il+rc. Confidential for Members IINFORMATIONAL MEMORANDLM Rie : Further Developments Resulting from, Royal College of Physicians Report PR No, 14-62 March 28, 1962. Continuing heavy gpvernment and press emphasis in England on the March 7 report of the Royal College ofPhysicians is stimulating renewed editorial and other interest in this country. Among developments are: 1. Several publications,, including Advertising Age and Newsweek, are working on stories on the effect of the new health scare"'on the tobacco industry here. These stories are being stimulated, the reporters say, by stock market reaction in the past few days, stemming primarily from reports fromiEngland (see below). The March 31 issue ofThe Nationifeatures a four-page articl'e, "'1The Case Against the Cigarette,"by Dr. Abraham M. Lilienfeld of Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. This article,, and an editorial, in effect support the positions set forth in the R.C.P. report. 2. The Pitman Publishing Corporation of New York now intends to sell a U.S., edition of the R.C.P. report at $1.00 instead ofthe previously announced $1.75. The American edition will have a foreword! by E.,-Cuyler Hammnnd, statistical research director of the American Chncer Society. Promotional activity is also beingpianned by the publisher, including "window streamers" for book shops. (See PR' No. 13-62. ), 3. The revived attention to the health and smoking stories began late last week following a long debate in England's House of Lords during which Viscount Hailsham, a senior cabinet minister for science and government leader in the House of Lords, strongly supported the R.C'.P. position,,attacked the British tobacco industry, and questioned the industry's position on tobacco and healithv research. •-.~_ _ The.industry's position was defended in the debates by Lord Sinclair of Cleeve (former Chairman of Imperial Tobacco Company of Great Britain). However, he was challengediboth by Lord Hailsham andiby Lord Cohen of B3irkenhead, one of the~leading physicians in England. Lord Hailsham spoke at length~at the conclusi'on of the House of Lords' debate. Brief, pertinent excerpts are: "'...the official attitude of'the tobacco industry to this.(Royal College) Report at the!prese~ntmomentisone ofagno~stic3ism bolsteredby scientific doubt. They have sent me, as I have no doubt they have sent others of your Lordships, a rival document to that of the Royal College, more expensively got up, sci- entifically argued attnd amply documented, the evident intention of which was to: create in the mind'of the reader, who ifhe smokes at all does not wish to be convinced that he is going to die or may have to the from this disease,, at least a doubt as to whether cigarette smoking is a cause of lung cancer after all...

"...the intention of the document is certainly to create a belief i'n the mi'nd'. of'the reader that the evidence is too doubtful to be acted upon... i'I wish to say to the House, with all the emphasis at my command, that it is my serious conviction that this case i's proved, that beyond any reasonable doubt whatever cigarette smoking -- that is to say, the smoking of cigarettes as they now are made, and especially heavy smoking of'cigarettes -- is, in popular languiage, a cause of' lung cancer... "...But the facts of life are often hard things to face, and the impression the tobacco manufacturers now make on public opinion -- this I must tell them, plainly -- will largely depend on the extent to~which they prove themselves able to~recognize as facts propositions which are accepted'by impartial scientists everywhere but which they find unpalatable... "I believe, with absolute conviction, that this evidence is compelling, and' that not to accept it is not solmuchito si'n against the light as to disregard one's own long term interests. I am quite sure myself that it would'in the end be more to their credit and less to their disadvantage if they got to- gether in their boardrooms andifi-ankly recognized that the merchandise they are now selling, i'nlits present form, is dangerous and, taken to any degree of excess, potentially lethal. If'they would do that they could begin to p7ian the consequences, which it is absolutely vital for them to plan, and if they do not plan now in advance of the recognition of the facts they will find it very much to their di'sadvantage."' While Lord Hailsham did not commit the gowernment to any specific measures against cigarettes, he d'is!cussed at length the various proposals made in the R.C.P. report an.d indicated that the gpwernment was seriously considering them. 4. S.J.Res. 171+ introduced last Friday by Sen. Maurine Neuberger (D.-Ore.) calls upon the President to establish a,Commission on Tobacco and Health to study the "health hazarddAof smoking,and the economic and revenue problems which would "result from a marked curtailment"' in the tobacco industry. Co- sponsors are Democratic Senators Moss of Utah, Clark of Pennsylvania, Randolph of West Virginia, Young of Ohio,Morseof'QregonandHickey ofWyoming., The Neuberger resolution closely resembles the proposal long advocatediby staff members of the American Cancer Society and officially advanced at the A.C.,S'. Board of Directors meeting in October 1960. (See PR No. 43-60'. ), Hill andi Kmowlton, Inc. Public Relations Counsel 150 East 42nd Street. New York 17,1 N. Y. cc: Members Public Relations Representatives Legal Representatives