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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Clipping Vefculo I Local Data ' "Ag~ncmEstado 1, " 5~o Paulo ' 11,03.98 T.iragem Pdgina~ Health - Second hand smoking risk is insignificant, say research Rio, 11 - Trying to fight back, using the enemies guns, BAT, owner of Souza Cruz, is releasing an study made by WHO which shows that from the industry's point of view, the second hand smoke risk of having Iung cancer is statistically insignificant. A summary of the study results, conducted in 12 metropolitan areas from seven European countries, was published two weeks ago in the IARC report, but BAT assumed the responsibility of releasing the conclusion to the rest of the world. "It seems strange that a so important research, the largest ever made up to now, has not been published by WHO", criticized chief scientist of BAT, Clms Procter. According to the research data,, the relative risk for those who are exposed to the second hand smoke varies from 1,i4 to 1,16. " This means a single case from each 100.000 people", says Procter. He took part today in a video conference with Brazilian journalists to release the study. His main argument is that the US National Cancer Institute considers that a risk factor can only be evaluated from level 2 - below this number it would be irrelevant. The complete study which analyzed during 10 years 650 lung cancer patients comparing them to 1.542 healthy people has not been 9ublished yet.. BAT, however, discovered the summary on IARC

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I report and tl~e article was published last Sunday at "Daily Tele~aph". kn London, WHO did not like the industries comments that the results would have been hidden fxom the general public and accused BAT of making of it "'An advertising cheat, according to the institution chief, Karol Sikora. Risks Procter avoided to attack WHO. " I will not say that WHO has hidden the results even because they were released in the report, but is natural that studies which defend the organizations agenda are highlighted", he said. Although the appearing triumph, Procter did not affirm that second hand smoking is risk free. "The risk may not be zero, but I can say that is not significant", he said carefully. He agreed, on the other hand that the fact that some risk may exist, even if not significant is something with what public health, like WHO, should be worried about - and admitted that the are researches pointing to the relation between ETS and the development of respiratory diseases in children as old as one and a half years of age. This is also the first time that tobacco industry immediately gives credits to a research conducted by the WHO, a traditional adversary of the cigarette. 0enerally BAT fights to minimize studies pointing to the hazardous effects of the cigarettes. °' the WHO conducts a number of trustable research", justifies Procter. To demonstrate this trust he affirms to agreed with studies which show the cigarette as an important risk factor for the development of diseases like breast cancer, enphisemas and cardiopathies. Eltane Azevedo O .-~ 0 ~0 o