Tobacco Documents Online

sT iPW ~y,N.Y. :ugust 6, 1 Let Us Have Facts JOURNAL ,MdlhrauBee, W3sc. August 4'', 1962' i.~ ,~ In the Air We Breathe Knowledge of the effects,of air pol+ lutlon onhutnan health Is scanty, What passes as evidenee'is in: many cases ~s t inoomplete, confusing,or even contra- dictory- ' Announcement by the United! States public health service of,a broad'scien- Yftc study is therefore, welcome. The . % surgeon general' had previousiy said ~ that the health service would review ".x evidence of connection between smok, ; ing and lung cancer. -, . - s -•The lung cancer investigation would have been lbss than satisfactory' with. out looking into the possibility that various kinds of air pollution, aside from tobacco smoke, may be a con- tn•buting,factor. The Tobacco Institute, after a recent:study„r por e t lung eancer death rates vary widely from region to region, city to city. Green Bay was one city far, below the na- tlonal average. ' and'the AmericanCancer Society label!' , ed' smoking u a prime cause of lung, cancer. Since then the indostry has, brought its own research results out intb the open to disprove contentions. " As a reaule, the smoker Is confused. `. He likes the relaxation provided by the'e weedI and he ia'unwilling to give It up, unless the case is proven. There ie, • another side - the eeonomie,- to be; eonsidered:. The tobacco industrg is an, eigbt;billion,dollar-a year activily. To, bring it, tb an abrupt halt will' be a, shock to the ecooomy- ''he evidence •is far from eatah- lished. The medical p,rofession leans lDther types of air pollution, inciud- heavily on~ the side of cancer as a grave Ing some that give no warning of their offender and, cause, of cancer. Brit:ini presence, may actually be perils to and I Italy have embarked!on anti•wnok• health. There is great need to learn ing campaigns althuugh, they have nott which, they are and their effects. Only banned tobacco. A Hungarian cancer then will we, know which present the ezperV attending the World' Cancer in- greatest' threats and how to provide stitutr at Moscow says he does not b'r• betterprotection against them. lieve,smoking is'the'olfender. He looka , for, other causes. Ttius the battle rages and neither side has conclusive proof. Surgeon General' Terry, gives assur• ance ah{t, the experts named to tha study group will,be; as far as possible, unbiased: Their task will be to gather evidence and sift faot.~ No one haa the right to expect more. If smoking is an offending agent in ausinglung cancer„the American smok- ing public la entitled to know. If'smok- ieg Is acarorded a,clean bill of health Mat' alpo should be publicized to put an end to the controversy. ,.Tbe'confiict which has raged over the;cancer danger involved in smoking at last' is to be, resolvedJ, The Public HealtfiService• which cautiously broaeh• ed,the idea of'an,intensive study of all the factors Itte laat' springc is prepared to bring its Idea into fruition. -- During the nexktwo months Surgeon General Terry ' will appoint a eommir sion of 12 people from thrmedical and scientific world and the tobacco indus : tiy to begin the study: The commission will gather dlta for aiic months and then spend possibly another six months - in an evaluation. --Regardless of how long,it takes, the sooner the American people are sup- ' plled with,faeta rather than, claims and theories„the better off all will be. The, tobacco induatry has been bearing thr brunt of the' attack' for several yeans„ ever alnee ttie Public. Health Sbrviee Yet presumably the percentage ot C heavy smokers is' about the same in urban areas. And, again, in some spots lung cancer was found quite prevalent among'persons not addicted to heavy smoking Aside from lung eancer: humanhealth 'may be:affected in,many ways by for- eign matter in the air we , breatbe, In- diastzy' releases an estimated 50 to 1110 million tons of smoke,,dustfumes and acids into the atmosphere eachh year. The people of Los Angeles have become painfully aware of the presence of irritating air pollutants;: )d, r .~.3 BP,lYl'.L+1 Ll Phlladeliph><a, Pa. Auguat:1', 1962 Air Pollution and Health An invest,igAtion whieh, promises to provide an unbiased report on the effect : of smoking, automobile fumes and other air pollutants on health;, Is to be made ~ during the next year by 12 scientists to'' be named 'by the United States Public '. Health, Scr, cr. _i This ina "unlike otners which"- 4 . have implic.-'cc tahT uke as a;: cause of'lun>; cancer, K•a 5r officiaf and '_ has in additionI,the backin~Z of several medical groups, the, tobacco industry ' and several,other federal azeccies. Sci, entists who have alteady expressed opinions on the possible relatio^ship be- tweenI smoking and' health will not b^ Chosen. The nature and, magnitude of• the hazards will first be explored and, this phase is expected to take six months or more: The second task w111! be to make recommendations to reduce the dangers. Ever since a rise has been noied in the incidence of' respiratory diseases;, and particularly lung cancer, violent oontroversy, has raged over the effects of various pollution factors, notably to- baeco and automobile fumes. Progress In cutting down the latter has been, marked; as a, report on success of' their elimination in diesel buses in Philadel- phia shows. Partisanship has been noted in some of the ir:quiries„ and the deter- •lninatlon of thrPublic Health Service to make an official investigation, should disprl many doubt's;,and replace some off the heat with light. By many, and particularly by smok- ers, the inquiry will be followed with an acutely personal,interest that such in- vestigalions ordinarily lack.