Tobacco Documents Online

00353190~~I. Polntb of Agreeinent' "` In all'the major studies Implicating cigaret3 is a health hazard, researchers havs general- ly agreed that: The degree of danger increases i":with the number of oigarets smoked per day; 'stop,ping, smoking, even in litter life, can sig- `-iniYicantly reduce the hazard; smoking pipes land' cigars, provided the smoke Isn't inhaled, ''is far safer than smoking cigarets, in which the smoke normally is inhaled. `-'1'f-ie `evTdence aga2ns amo mg 1ias led to ' eome governmental action In Europe. In Great Britain, for example;, the widely, pub- licized report of the Royal College, of Physi- cians prompted a government educational campaign aimed at youngsters and an agree- ; ment with tobacco makers to restrict ariveriis- g•. •. . Officials in theiU.S. have been more cau- tKous. The largest medical group here, the 187,000+member American Medical Association, •t hasn't taken a-public posit2on in the contro- versy. At its annuali meeting, last July, howr- eoer;, the association authoriaed' a study by unbiased scientisi smokingandihealth. The first report is expected, in mid-1963. _'. The U.S. Public Health Service also hass launched a similar "comprehensive revdew" of the evidence. In 1959, the Surgeon General said the "weight of' evidence"' suggests a link betwden smoking and lung cancer. - The committee conducting the study for the Government met,two days last week and yes• terday Surgeon Generali Luther Terry said itt will be six to eight. months before the group completes its report. The Health Service said committee mem- bers at their organizational' meeting agreed on, :'an extensive review of the scientific literatur+e. ~ and' basie studies on all aspects of, the use of .-toba!cco and smoking habzts,-a~ well as pmssible eontributing, factors snch as air pollution, in+. dustrial exposure, radiation and alcohol." Dr.. Terry said the report will dt•aw on data on j, Americans and reporrts from,other nations: 1, Lung cancer deaths have clirnbed Inirecent `'years: It is by far the leading single cancer killer among mcn„ accnunting for 41,000 deati a,year. The death rate is 10 times the rate of a decade ago, according to the American Can+ cer Society. It is difficult to diagnose and only about S~Jo of the cases have been cured. AAIDY 1QEWS New York, New York November 10, 1962 1 ., r. t 3{t~4'e ~;~f±l ,.. L. Cig CoAeaed : In Canc~rTriai Pittsbyrgh, Nov. 9 (UPi).-A Federall Court jury today absolved the Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co. of blame for the lung cancer con- tracted by a Pittsburgh, carpenter who saidl he got the disease fromm smoking, Chest'erfieid' cigarets. The panel of eight women and four men deliberated' 11 hours before reaching, a decision in the court' of Judge John,Iy. Miller. The $1,250,000 damage suit against the firm was brought by Ottoi Pritahard~ 64. The test case was Pritchard's second againat the company. Earlier, Judge Miller had dis- missed Pritchard's suit for $1 -million in punitive damages. The case continued with a request for $250,000 compensatory damage. Pritchard, who underwent sur- gery in 1953 ' for removal pf his right lung, was not in the court- room when the verdict was an+ nounced. His original suit against the company.in 1960 1ended in a directed verdict of' acquittall I3le was granted a new trial by the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals. . i k rp , r r :1+ , w ~