Tobacco Documents Online

, . r JOURNAL ~~1'3 .3,4 Winston-Salem, North Carolinal July 27,1962 ' " e , Panei ~ ;py,~?N JI Cigae!te w Study l 1 :1 . . j . k:.~,. ~ . . ~~.-.. s._ . -- . . . -.. ~r~ THE announced plan of the U.S. Pub-i already cornmat'ted' themselves, and* felt ' conditions, the over-all health condition of lie. Health 'Service to form an "un-; un'der obligation to prove they were right. individuals, and' other factors„ possibly l d' t - t l o e ung can a biased, expert paneP' to study the impact'; The matters at' stake In this study demandi ~cluding viruses, are re of smoking and oth.r factors is welcome : an open-minded approach by scientists cer. -But_if smoking is the major cause of news. The study„ whichi hopefuldyy will be , wholly dedicated to a search for the lung cancer, the public ought to know it. comprehensive, thorough and -objective, facts. This panel may not be able to say with should go far towardl removing the re. .° ` The present wide divergence in so- finality whether cigarette smoking, is 'a' =lationship between smoking and' health :~ called expert ;opinion ;ori,.thp smoi{irng-.' cause of:lung, cancer, but the public and from the realm of' controversy, 'rurnor and •; r•ealth questiom is emphasized not only b the tobacco industW , have much. to, ga2n eonjecture based largely upon differing '"the opposed views expressed at interval from a completely fair and, thorough study stat'ist'ical data. • by -American doctors and t'he differin~, ' by experts of all the factors in the devel- A reassuring note in the announcement' ` conclusions emerging from, B~ritish atud opment of- lung cancer. Once the availa- of the study program made by Surgeon . ies, but also, by the findings' reported by ble facts are laid out onthe table„the pub- General Luther L. , Terry following a; R'ussian Soviet and Hungarian scientistj lie and the government will have a basis meeting .vith represent'at'ives of govern- :; at the International Cancer Congress irl, for deeiding what corrective action, iiI be taken an5y, should i b , s, as , . ent, professional, health and industry :Moscow„ The Soviet dmctors, on the m e n t l'i ' ng to ac- organizations this waeek,; was the state- : of their studies, appear unwil ment that scientists who have already •_ cept the contention that cigarette smok- .taken a strong pro or con position on ing is the major cause of lung cancer: smoking and' health will not' be, chosen, for ; ' There is an urgent if' not compelTing " the-' study. This precautionary step rni~ni -ni- ' need! for the dioubts and uncertainties on mizes the danger that the study might be " this score to be cleared up. There is muc11 tpo much inflUeneedl by those who had evidence to indicate that smog, climatic JOUPti*TAL - , Provi'dence, Rhode Island July 29, 1962 The C9oWerrirne'rit Plans, a Wide Air 'Pollutioni.5f'udy The federal government; at last, has been smoked'o,ut of its position of aloofness andl has been per- . suadied to take a, close look at the harmfuls ef'fects on health resulting from cigarette The U,S. . Public Health ervice proposed the full-scale investigation, and ~ President Kennedy has ordered it to move ahead. Surgeon General Luther L. Terry takes the sensible position that the 112' exFerts he will select, to do the investigation must be+' persons who have not' taken strong 9:s. lic positions on the-matter. He taken the equally sensiblb posi- tion that the harmful effects from all forms of air pollution should' be considered, rather than just' the harmful effects from smoking. Sufficient evidence has been ' amassed in dozzens of earlier stud- ies to prove that' cigarette amk- iing can be harmful. There is a di- , rect correlation between the soar- ing incidence of lung cancer and. I the soariitg, con- sumption of cig- arettes over the last ',few dec- ades. Further, there is abun- dant and per- suasive evidence that lung, cancer is most preva- lent among those who have, been the heaviest, smokers of cig.- arettes. Other Terry • studies have suggested that the cigarette may also be a'guiilty party helping to cause other diseases. But exen though the cigarette may be a major factor, it may not be the•eicbusive factor causing, alll the i'lds'whd~.h are, laid at its door. There is evidence, for example, that 11ung r?.ncer is more prevalent in the ciitiFs-than in the co+urntry, and there is the evidence that' re• spiratorv aillnnent'sarr morecom- mon and widespread 'in smog •, ridden cities like Los Angeles than they are in cities that are. blessed with cleaner air. The exhausts from mtl7ions of automobiles,,, the smoke from incinerators, the pol- lutants from smoke stacks - alt these contribute pollution to the air and probably contribute to the health problem. It is time that a careflul' and thorouigh study under impartial g,overnment' auspices be made of this problem. Even if , it' doesn't clear t'~hea~ir in the litierat sense, it should clear the aim of some of' the confusion that has surrounded the matter and perhaps show how this, growing, problem • can! be brought under control.