Tobacco Documents Online

~_ ii1 4 :1 4 S 1 2~i 7 _t4 ____' .. BMYW-CT J 4! 456 SutherLand Lane Prospect Weights~, ll~~linois~~ February 4, 1888'. D~r. . Th,° ; ;_qs S. Qsdene 'i rector of' Science and Technology ::iIip Morris U.S.A. C'.O. Box 26603 'ichmond~, Va. 23261 Dear Tom: I}, :vA giverr a lot of thought to the tobacco industry's proposed Cdrstnr for Ind!oor, Air Research ;CIAR). My focus has been the Cente.r'-- e,rg•attlzation, operation and my role as Executive Director, e'specialiy r,y rF,'ationsl:ip with the Board of Directors, in light of the indua ;ry' sg;,als and ob,jectives. We have had several discus_,;', these items, which, have made some of'the issues clParer,pxr, l; -:ifter our meeting on January 26, 1588'. However, even aft. meeting I feel that there are some areas still needing ca.r- ar,di resolution and these issues had, best be addressed befoi•e ~• committed to each'other by contract. I't is also the, wisest coura.: thdt their resolution should be documented somewhere so that no misunderstanding between the variouls parties could arise over these is.gues at some later time. The main goal' of C1AR i's to provid'e i:ndependent,scientifical'ly credible research on indoor air quality, with particular emphesis on Environmental Tobacco Smoke (iETS). The industry has support research in this area in the past and'it is their opinion that additional researchiis needed'' to better understand the science of ET5 and'' to (-larify what ri.sks, if any, exist. Another reason for proposing the Center is that research sporrsored~ in the past, by the industry, has been dismissed as non-objective, in part because it was industry funded, and often was carried out i'n support of litigation. This type of industry sponsored research is a necesBary part of business, but, it is in the industry's best intere,t.K for additional independently plar;ned~ and executed research which will judged solely on the basis of it scientific merit to be carried out wzthiindustry support. Such rFsearGh, in principle, wouJ.d'be accepted as being unbiased d would~ be considered in any future policy decisions. Other ea ~ :ndustries have used this approach Buccessfully and there is no reason to assume that it cannot be used by the tobacco industry. The industry has gone to considerable trouble and expense to propose the CIAR' which it is hoi'd wili1 meet these objectives. II concur in this premise and' am pl• !~~ed that you and your col'leagues have are cond''idering me as the first Executive Director of CLAR. Thiss rr.presents a si'grsi:f icant challange and one which I look forward to undertaking. However, there are certain aspects of the operation of the Center which trouble -Tie which should be reso3.ved this time. Thu critli:.:=A1 for the success of CIAR is that of independence,

a -•':~ 1.1.: --. 11i-~ a P 20 ~~ a -_.~ Brls:lJ~-C~T C,.'. ~i actu;il and perc,aived. The scientif ic community and the poI icy ;;:al:ers must be convinced that the research sponsored by CIAR oi:-om undue pressure by the industry and that tHe results will =ree i, ~vnilable regardless of the outcome. r-,t corcE:..rr ia f,t)at under the proposed operational procedure te; endenc~ and objecti'vity does not nor will be perceived! mechan ''3 wa-~ di5.cussed u:: cur January 28 mPeti'ng, the ~ resnarch wi ll be f or the Executive Di rectc,r to prop,>>:. -- ,,.i and budget wr:ich will be approved as a working guidei': , ^^i: the ex,~tption of some possible administrative iteins, n,, to actuas transfex• of funds to the CIAR. Rather, it wc:_r~ ~: -d that w~~en the actual research projeGts are developed arid the •~tigat-pr sel5cted, a request would be submitted to the Board of -ictors for review and funding. It would be possible at that time _'Jr any or alil of the industry sponsors of CIAR to refuse to, s::.ppr1rt. -,ny particular research project. that such a proc•edl.i-::~ is unworkable if one wishes to attai:: ~.~ lndastry's goals of objeccivitv and independence. Furthbrm0 r e it c 11 ld hlso present art imag6 of a iack of commitment on the Yart sF-~>;,sors , The re~,u4ment that industry particip•ste i< rof the e,veral l re::-arch plen, as well as, the ait va the w:_i, objectives and' tasks of the i'ndividual' '_J absolutly necessary. How, tv :,,, ;_edi}; ty will oz'.;, bt obt:ainLd t3nd perceived by those outs ir by :iliowir;x project selection to be based axt sci-, rEC:r:-it ,' t:--d resr;arch, iridependent of any possible industry c,.ontrol or veto• Whar, i~q being proposed is just the opposite ina r.-~uld 'ae ~i:oided if the CIAR is to meet the stated goa' ° othe.r iradustri'es }:av7 been faeed with a similar sita~z._ i. C".._iing tna gas industry, with which I am assc-, r_u . -Jy alsc :_-ioo' research institutions with goals ~j.r: : objectives sim4.', the tobacco industry. However, taken the cr-i.;..i step of removing themselves from the by turning ovdr the funds and the management authority to t'r:a instit~~ to accomplish the approved program p3an. At the : {_h--ty psrtlc ipate in the seiencifilc aspects of the organizat rr, i r.sisting and receiving accountabitiy. The riet result is goo.{ c,, ,_.;.r,,-• research which addresses the scientific c-~ncerns of :.. . ,-::~izle still maintaining the indepenenc" r:aeded for ot:>, ivity ._... ~ re , ii3iltiy. . What hag been proposed for the CIAR removes all authority for accomplishing the objectives from those that have the respornsibiti:• and places almost absolute control in the hands of the Board' allows individual sponsors to withdraw their commitment on a projec:t ~y project basis. There is rro question that the $oard has the T--sponsibily to set the policy, to guide the direction and the content of the research and to dernand arid maintain accountability for p?t°formance. However, under the system proposed the Executive Director has little or no autho"y to insure that the projects are ;i loped ?ina selectt.d c?,, 1-hei. _ ier' c merits and~ would be unable t,- issure ° e scientific n znity that there was no industry ~_^=~rfere~ r.r pressure ro--reasons unrelF I' to scientif ic merit.. a:*, best wnat is now being proposed is a highly paid project monitoririg org;,,ii--ation, a task which could' be more effectivly ~,comp] is~- " -house. Such a:, organizatiorr and its output would

1 4 : t_ a t_+. a 5: _ er~ ii cT 02 never be accepted or taken seriously by the scientifi'c community or t:iose who w..-uLd use the research results in setting ETS policy. The net h• would 1> , not only a loss of money for the industry, but, a r r iistrst~d CIAR staf f whose stand'ir,g and reputati on witMn the r,'t:'ic community would he susPect. "'ne ot}r r concern which is very critical to the success of CIAR is ~ p(-.)li<:.y --lgarding publication of results and~ accPss to the data ?.he ri~s-;arch funded' by the Center. The Board must make it very :hat the Executive Director has the abillity and authority to r,~,rc that the results of the research will be publishable by thE. >.v?st•tgators artd will be made freely available to the public with no :str,rts. Without this assurance CIAR w.ill never attract the ~lit,x r.esearchers that would bm required to meet its objectives. 'ind the prospect of of being the Executive Director of a research or5,ani,ation which has the ob.iectives that been discussed to be very ex.^iti•: , and rewarding possibility. It would be a position that I coU i1:ulfi11 to the satisfaction of my employers. However, the ground rules must be clear before I accept or commit myself to The position that there are no restrictionb, procedures or policies which w'l defeat the success of CIAR even before it gets started. i, :;tsrrnor-3, I feel that a goodi and explicit working relaLionship witsr the So~Srci aartot;:Gr key element to the success of CIAR. 'i'tt 1 z'elation;-3h_-_ :an :~•yst be established before we begin. Tlt 1 interest•s t;:at tssuQs which may cause miQunderstanding c. r<.4A conflict be r,~ sed, dealt with and their resolution be u:-:: }u, ~:::,(c bzforQ ~;,.: -5 a f?.nal cc)mm:itment on either of our parts. After ~a h:ctd a chance to mull over what I have saicl {. ,.r the oth-rs or if you wish to go into m: gi - me a call • Sinceraly, Irwin H. Billick