Tobacco Documents Online

-V ; Excerpts from Scripps-Howard Story on Dr. Michael Shimkin's speech: A." Shimkin said a "new kind of prohibition -- on cigarettes -- would . save at least 20 thousand lives a year in the United States." He admitted such a ban would be difficult to invoke because '~a'S~~i . . . . .. ~'4?~~1: ~~~ ~~•q consiaerea neitner a rood nor a drugand appears to be l " a l regulations except taxation.... a government) "can do'more toprotect the population from -- whose dangers for man are at most theoretical -- than from the hazards of tobacco...." Shimkin (in Troan's words) challenged repeatedly assertions by Dr. JosephBerkson, Mayo Clinic's chief statistician, that nobody has proved cigarette smoking can give people lung cancer. An "association" between smoking and lung cancer has been shown identified in tobacco smoke through "extensive laboratory experiments.` At least 10 chemicals which can cause cancer in animals have been by "many statistical investigations." "Careful observatiorB" of human tissue have shown tobacco produces Shimkin concluded: "It all adds up to this -- if tobacco smoking, at least in the changes in the lining of the breathing tubes similar to the kind which form of cigarettes, were terminated, the annual mortality fr=lung cancer could be reduced by more than 60 percent, a saving of at least 20 thousand lives in the U.S. alone." "Doctors," he said, "must realize this business of smoking is a serious public health problem and not a stale joke." 9/13/60

Mr. Ragland's comment on the Shimkin speech, as given to Scripps-Howard, was as follows: _ .~,:... . '11his pronouncement brings into the open the prohibitionist "Despite his extreme stand, it should be noted that - . : . ; . .. of a small, self-appointed anti-tobacco group. Dr. Shimkin admits other scientists of prominence do not agree with his charges against tobacco. "Nevertheless, Dr. Shimkin is now trying to dictate to laymen and doctors what their attitude should be toward~tobacco "He has made similar charges before, even though other scientists in the National Cancer Institute disagree with him4 He ignores the sizeable and growing research evidence that does not support his position. "It is ironic that this anti-tobacco spokesman calls for the scientific worlid to remain'fluid' in its concepts of the "He is one of a small group of tobacco critics who cite different figures at different times, ignoring the fact that their statistical claims are constantly shifting and often conflicting. They can't all be right but could all be wrong." complex diseases known as cancer, while being anything but in his own outlook toward the lung cancer question. 9/13/6o