Tobacco Documents Online

Text of U.,S!. Public Health Service statement for release July 25, 1962: organizations and the tobacco industry. several federal agencies, non-governmental professional groups, health `''Izather L. Terry of the Public Health Service met with representatives of ,, smoking,upon health were made late yesterday afternoon when Surgeon General :Plans for the establishment of an expert com¢nittee,to study the impact of i~`Association, The Tobacco Institute, Inc., Food and Drug Administration,. "College of Chest uuirgeons* American Heart Association, American Medical .. . _ _ . ;.~. . FEepresented'at the meeting were the American Cancer Society, the American -'National Tuberculosis Assoeiation. Federal Trade Coffinission, and the Office or Science and Technology or the ©ffice or the President. .According to Dr. Terry, the study will be concerned not only with tobacco :;:placed as yet on the second phase., , - first phase completed'lin approximately six months. No time gauge can be exhausts, etc.- It is expected to get underway by mid-September, with thee but all other factors which may be involved such as air pollution, automobile The group agreed: chemistry), phy, io]1ogy, public health and preventive medicine, radiology, social and behavioral sciences, statistics, an.disurgery. Scientists who have already taken a strong public position pro or con will not be chosen. None will represent any organization or group. The Surgeon General (or his representative) will be chairman of the advisory group. 2. The study will proceed in two sequential phases: (1) The nature and internal medicine, pathology, pharmacology and toxicology (including organic ; biochemistry and biophysies, cancer biology, epidemiology and biometry, of their expertness in interpreting scientific data in fieldls such as. . The expert group will have approximately twelve members chosen because other agencies. be needed in this phase and that many possible recommenddtions~for action extend beyond the health field amd into the purview and competence of phase one is completed. It is recognized that different competencies may ma;gnitude of the health hazard, andi (2) Recommendations for action. No decision on how the second phase is to be conducted will be taken until the same objectivity and impartiality as is expected from the advisory group. 0 W group. Special care will be exercised'that staff papers are prepared with 0- It was agreed that the phase one study should encompass all relevant data. Subcommittees would be formed (PHS'staff'and/or outside consultants as appropriate), to prepare staff'papers. For this purpose the entire field would be subdividedito the extent possible on a disease category basis, for example, lung cancer, other cancer, heart and circulatory, respiratory. Special staff papers may also be neededlin subject matter areas which do not fall into disease categories, e.g., air pollution or carcinogenic substances in tobacco smoke. This would be worked out with the advisory 3 4. Subject to wishes of'the committee, staff papers will be presented and discussed with the advisory group, following which there will be "hearings" where additional evidence (oral or written) will be heard in such areas and on such subjects as the expert group felt necessary. Transcripts of these hearings will be regarded as open documents and perhaps published. r (more)

Fu1l-time-staff will be required. Staff, administrative and financial support wi]:1: be supplied by the institutes and divisions principally Part-time staff'services and perhaps consultants may also be required. It is understood that any part of the service may be called upon for advice Institute, the Division of Air Pollution, and the.Division of'Chronic Diseases. concerned, specifYically, the National Cancer Institute, and National Heart .and assistance., the meeting,. Final selection will be made by the Surgeon General. -lists were compiled by the Service and the organizations represented'at whatever reason"'and return to the Public Health Service by August 3. The to the participants with instruction toleiiminate individual names "for Names of more than 150 scientists in the various disciplines were distributedi Society. The three studies, it was emphasized, wi'l1 be independent of the other and the membershi'p of no study will be duplicated in another. In addition to Dr. Terry and members of his senior staff, persons present field are a]:so about to be undertaken, one by the Council on Drugs of the American Medical Association and the other by the American Thoracic It was pointed'out during the session that two other studies in this same Clark of the Office of Science and Technology, Office of the President. Scientific Director of the Tobacco Industry Research Comrnittee, and Dr. Kenneth President of The Tbbacco Institute, Inc.; Dr. Clarence Cook Little, I Member of Council on Drugs and Dr. William Spring, Secretary of the Council on Drugs, American Medical Association; Dr. George Dobbs, Division of' Scientific Opinion, Federal Trade Commission; Mr. Wi'nton B. Rankin, pfficee of the Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration; Dr. John W. Raleigh, Medical Director, National Tuberculosis Association; Mr. George V. Allen, Research, AmericamCollege of Chest SurgeonA Dr. George E. Wakerlin, Medical Director, American Heart Association; Dr. Joseph B. Kirsner, .American Cancer Sbciety; Dr. Herman J. Moersch, Director of Education and at the meeting,were: Dr. Richard Mason, Vice President for Research, *The USPHS statement should have read American Cbllege of Chest Physicians.