Tobacco Documents Online

)-]O'.'.' Sf?MNG5 1'::11?}":')'S ON 'J'Gll T1NACCE1''l`A Bli>t"1 Y IS:11I", '1'i1c: Aust.-atian, 1'JII%1)€:x• sut,})-IPriscs =,ttccinc.tly the current silvtacioa. ;n th.A cot!t}try (,,a View a,'so to be, found in the papc:rs fro.r. t1:c• t:Sh, C. !ladU and'' Gex°.I,.any);. It st.atc:s: "The Ir,c,in thrust of tl1^ .!)i.i--smc>.ang movenr,r.nt has veere:c; wvrUy fron)- strict healtlh miatters to tI)ose of a soci.-A. nature. While not dov;n-grac'.in:l the seriousness of the smoking and I!r_,:1''th controversy we must recoqni'sc• that eve:z in the loce: of the failure of ineeiical sck-mcc: to Produce defini.t'e prool of disease causa]:ity the anti-snlolcint3 lobby 1-!as taken giant strides by co;:)centra.ting on tlle duh;cu; clairns that side5trenm smoke i s_"riedi~cal'y injurious a1).S more ]pt)rticularl}T on argula.>lit.s sulcport ing the stancettlat smol.inq is adira tyhEaJt. We br.lie•,re that ;sniolccrs are p?'chared to :;uhlimate al,xietles -LiUout .,o-callccJ healtl5 hazards b,tt tIzut tlley arctcJ contint,lcd pressures of a social naturc". Tl.i s concern i. ; under!~cc~~-cd' by all dr-l:<>g; tc con.rhr.anies ihc CXCC'])tio11 of w]Io r eport that in their couraries the on smoking nioving a'xi1y frfr'1] tI":e product totJa.lTl{s 'tltc co.=?sa{2t).^..'I' ' F.2ifQ1 ]11~s , behaviour and tl'! tt. il-+!'r.G' S s nlnu.I'1tlC1g cr}tlC.:I slTl of "Sl: yssLvl?" smolci;-,et and i.ts clleyc:c3 ]Icau.m(ua c.Cfcc-t on !:}on-sinoicers. . Jill I)~?Iv :r:; iclc:r,tiricd tLe llc(-.~c.l to 1-)rovica(-, reassurance to e.:stilt9 Sl.r~ol e.`5 and c:,~,~lo~cr.:c s ancl, to cnt:nter t''h,c 1~Jn l' t(:??ITI impact of TII0lMi;=.J!lC13 fi n:U thC cl.'2t.'-.`:lI3o14IT1~ jC:bI)V'wIl2'ch tl;i'ei:lth!1s, tC) t}!}dC7"- Initic= 5!=lok: rs' cc-)!)fidk:;x:e :!t!d' t.o cli::szl_:cle heoPlir•I-.ot to tal:a> tip' tI}e I)a.)i C. Ca.l.t.:,tic't ici::l1tii[icci t.kl:_' 1Jrc,i.)lcr}c t.ht,c:- r7'o ir%iliiat;: ;I of n:tiC.)n t,rltic]h wi1l. - ~}} ~{~±%Y:'t~17,'!: t ~l'iO1: iI 'S )i! til(`.Itf (tf+;.t.`I'I)ZiYi:1i;lY1!! i~) Or!t'_It)~..:;111U~:IIS*J , ..

2 (i.ii) Corz-ect or Cc,fi.tte erronc:ous statements about smoking and its effc,cta. ) Deicrld the t:oh-r,cco industry (v) CornnTunicato positive aspects of smol:ing.'c I01ost Conipariics recoma-nend the need to seek and obtain the un- ani,-rlot.is con1rnitrnent and a9,reement of the Industry and "where. it,di'vidtral companies are orsned or controlled by ir.ternational oi gunisatio»r, such companies must have a commitment from~ th::ia- princ:il als for endorsation and sitprior. t equivalc'nt to that offered by BAT for Compac;ies in thc:~ BAT Group". Moreover, i t-,vas gener al'1y recognised that a more hosit'ive stance by the lndustry thanthat t"aken to date could, and probably would, pro- volce a c'bacia'ash°' : it should be ezpected and accepted. Main areas for positive action ,-: ere seen to be: (i) The iiee:d (unclerscored by Australia) for the Industry to unclertalce a research~ Proga-amrne to identify more clearly tlose areas of consumer and public attitudes and concerns so that a combative programme of activity could be developed based on factual evidence rather than assuinpLipns. It N.,as recommended that Dlilibank should co-ordinate and develop a common methodology to be followed by all Coisrpanies. (iii)Aprogramiaze of heightened politicall lobbying: (re- comr.-,enciecj by USA, Australia and Canada) to make lol.iticians more aware of the issues involved' and to refute and correct rnis-sbatemcmts of fact made by politicians andd government bodies. (iii) 'Thc establishsr.cnt of an "intcrnational clearing house" (r.ecornincndeci by Canada and Germany) responsible for the coliation and clissemin:-ition of information and tlic-, "cievelopment of communication themes on an intcrliaLio11za1 hasis"'. . (iv) A hrc,~jt•amnie of employee reassurance (proposed by 13y''lOwlricla would: - n(a) denioic:;trccte coilfickrncc and pride in ihe Tobricco lnrlu:,try (b) ]zc:)nbe etiililc,yc,cS' jolb:, to botL• the Cont- 1)stny's ,iijcl li1ciur;i.ryc ~; l;clcce itr ttio gonc.rt'al cec>r)on,y' ru~cl rolo:.;currc^c, rn.•u-kc_t. /

3 (c) Kec:p cmp]oyec:7 infc~rnned off t[ie Coml>any` s effOJ:-ts to countCr lcci'slal:ive attc•nipts to restrict sn-,ol.ing (cl) Exhress the Indtirst.ry's viewpoint on hoi.h the he<<lth~ controver sy and non-smoking issue, and (c) NIal:c: subt.l'e suc,u,IesLions as to hoW eml)loy-ees' personal attituc3es and behaviour coullcl help avoid social confrontations bet%veen~ sniol:crss a:nel''. non-sm ol:er s. „ Further proposals (amongst others) include:- Creatr a].etter understanding of the smoking issue among the niedila to ensure a more balancedir4portinq of the srr,ol;ing question. (ii) Persuade well-known smol.er rersonalities to speak up in favour of their use of tobacco products. (iii) Extend! the Inclustry's Emissary concept (proi:f.)sed by 13fi.IJ)' developed by The Tobacco Institute in t:tti USA. (iv) Develop a\,,ider range of supportive educational mater- ial', e.g. filrns, pamphlets, press releases, artic•les, etc. * From the pahci,s we have received, it is apparent that,,vIiilst the problem is conan°.on its resolution should inevitably he tailored to sit.it loc.•al climate and circumstances. It is there- fore difficult tf, irlentify a common course of action which all Corn]panies c::,1; or S1toulcl, follo\d. Rflther it Woulcl c>ecrn uY._sir- ablc for cau:h Company, workirnd within its own Inc]u:;try associ_ct- i.ons, to tailor a programme which is judged to be bc,st suited t(~ local IIeCCl.i'. It i:>s clear, hoWeve.i~', thrri in the USA and Australia in particular, and to a lessor extent in Cr.inac.la,, (whilst Germany ' h,as ala.•eaely startc(i) t'.ie ]btclustry ni`:e(:; to r.trirce a coctFse of actiOn ancl to intplctni;it iL :t:; suOm as p,crtt:t'ic:(l. lt is r.liLliic-rill to), c`+lvisrlr(,, w1t:rU zole. Millb;ui1: sisouIc.I play othcl. than tolur(»<;iir Ilt .- lv(p ii, (~•cl ihnlt turcl to rrtr)vtitv;r t i~~lll!(` (i1':'L' tli1ll.'. 1~Si.tltl.0.(` '.'iiltls are !(,,:tclni, \( Ui:(.l f'•-~.q.1Jt it lt l(:I to 1ilc.:a,';urrl~ lri1L

perhoh;s in tJ.;eUh:~ I.3.'l5'T ha:, a clzfferctit role to play. I-ier, e, first of all, we have to gct: tbr~ lndusiry to rec:orlni.se the existence of lhe pl oblem, whi'cl-L mirlht Nvell Ue niore e sewere at the r.nomcnt over se~ s than in thi 5 Country. The oniy \:'ay to find out v.,ould be tahiroiidli a proc,rarnme of research. This would hrovi de the benchmark from N:; hich an Industry plun of action cou:r1 Le dcvelol;)ccl. lt v"o1flc] see.nz prefer ahle that this should bc: initiated inclepcnctently tLc tobacco comhnnies \vork- ind in concert rather than und'e-i~' the aushices of the T.A.C. R1-?/JC . 1 976 Sel,t.~:L Bt:h ~ r