Tobacco Documents Online

BEftALD TRIBtJNB7' :'. jurne 8', 1962 New York, New York EXPERTS & SMOKING RISK By Robert C. Toth 1 A Staj Correepondent WASHINGTON. The United States Public - Health Service announced yes- terday that it will set up an expert' advisory committee to. .assess the risks oL smoking and' recommend appropriate govern- ment action if' necessary. President Kennedy at his press conference indorsedi the action. He said it would be "some months or go into 11963'• before the committee made a, -report. Surgeon General Luther L. Terry of the Health Service said, in making the announcement that' "a comprehensive review" of the considerable evidence now accumulated was "timely." The expert scientific commit- .tee he will appoint will "study, the evidence, evaluate it andi make whatever recommenda- !tions may be appropriate," Dr. Terry said. The committee. ;probably to be a, continuing, 8erald'Tribune-UP[ IDr. Luther Terrr•-'1'lic ri idenur will liP revir«-,-rl. government professional, groups, health organizations and the tobacco Industry. The Health Service took the position in 1959' that cigaret'te Smoking was probably the prin- cipal cause for the rise in lung cancer. Officials said they know, of no new evidence that would hange t'hat' stand. As a result, it was expected hat~ the advisory committee will ay considerable attention to considering measures to warn smokers of the iisk. This may take the form of educatKonal campaigns or labeling cigarettee packs withitar and nicotine con- tent of the cigarettes, both ofi which have been suggested ini (7ongress. The American Cancer Soci-, ety, which conducted the first, detailed study a decade ago that showed a smoking-cancer link„has already undertaken ani education drive aimedl at teen- agers in schcol. The American Public Health Association and, the National Tuberculosis As- sociation have indorsed such' programs. In addition, the American Heart Association has warncd that heavy stnoking aprears to I risk than non-smokers, with pipe and cigar'smokers running less risk than the lightest cigarette smokers. However, non-smokers do die of lung cancer, and' tobacco companies cite this and other factors in contending that no final proof t'hat' smoking causes Icancer has yet been provided. 11 On the other hand, many ex - pert's argue that the statistical correlation is sufficient to take public action without waiting for irrefutable biological evi- dence that shows exactly how the smoke causes cancer. Dr. Kenneth M. Endicott; di- rector of the National' Cancer Institute of the Public Healtli, Service, recently told Congressr "P. H. S. believes that the evi-, ing as a major cause of lung, cancer is sufFcient4y strong to justify an intensive educationall campaign:" His institute concentrates oni educating professional groups such as doctors to the risk, while the American Cancer So- ciety concentrates on the lay public, he said. The voluntary agencies and Dr. Endicott"s institute provi& nounced yesterday„ according to informed sources. The Can- cer Society had suggested' a presidential commission rather than a Health Service adlvisory Igroup. Tobacco I natitute WeZcO iirl.ps St ud'y Oeorge V. Allen, presiden't of' the Tobacco Institute, Inc., yes- terday issued a statement saying: i "The tobacco industry wel~ omes the announcement that he U: S. Public Health Service plans a full study of the facts about smoking and health. Such an impartial study is both time- ly and appropriate in view of the recent flurry of attention to the subject. "No one has a greater interest than the tobacco industry in helping medical science find so- lutions to the health problems of our country. The industry, has been supporting,an exten- sive scientific research program on tobacco and heatth, since 1954, when the Tobacco Indus- try Research Committee was rnake an individuai more sus-`ed the impetus for the governrlestablished to provide grants to ceptible to heart attacks. Some!ment advisory committee an« independent sr.ientists.'," studies indicate five times more: deaths from coronary disease among smokers than non- smokers. There are 39;00b deaths aa year from lung cancer in the U. S! Persons who smoke a pack or less of eigarettes' a day have four times more chance of getting the disease than do non-smokers. Heavier times greater risk than non- smokers, according to recentt statistics. times greater than non-smok- The Cancer Society's figures indicated' two - back - a - day' smokcls havr sixty times more U.S. Announces Study On Smoking Assaelat.d.Pr.ss - VII'ashington, June 7: A committee of experts w'll: make a comprehensive review for t'He Government of all available data and try to determine if smoking, has any impact on health. This was announeed Thurs- t,cancer. The industry is fi- day by Surgeon General Luther i naneing research it says is t aimed at' determining the facts. L. Terry,, who said the commit- . The Tobacco Institute said tee will make appropriate rec- the impartial study announcedd ommendations. I by Terry "is both timely and The group, he said, tdill be ~ appropriate, in view of the . chosen after consultation with recent flurry of attention to agencies concerned, non-gov- thesub9eet." ernmertal professional groups, President John F. Kennedy, _ heaith orga~ni¢ations andd the ~'hoo hadi declined at his~ news. 1!(~'~ tobacco industry. ~ conference two weeks ago to The makeup of the panel - get involved in, the tobacco TfiE' COUFZIER-JOURDTAL will be announced when all : controversy, was asked at IAt~tisville, Kentucky its members have been, chosen, ~pm~insent~on Tes conference announce- Juri e 8, 1962 Terry said. i,ment. ~ This effort to try and solve 1, _The President merely said'd the smoking-cancer dispute was ~t gives the s~angeon gen- understood to have White House approval. .l~ eral's position, "which I have No Proof, Industry Says i,supported."' He added that the : survey probably will take sev. The tobacco industry con- eral months, possibly going tends there has been no proof into r_xt year: which links smoking to lun' ;rather than an ad hoc group, will be selected after consu;.ta-, tion with Federal agencies, non-