Tobacco Documents Online

D. WRA Role/Obi ective/Accountability: Primary responsibility for this issue rests with the operating company, in particular, R&D (Richmond and Neufchatel) and WSA. Nevertheless, WRA, by virtue of its global perspective, collective knowledge, skill, expertise and experience, together with its responsibility for a variety of issues and regulatory focus, is in a position to add value by generally providing counsel and advice. - In particular, WRA's role (for which it is accountable) is to stay informed of: • all relevant worldwide trends and activities in the scientific/technical/medical commtimity, in the area of science ethics, academic freedom, data sharing, and related topics; • developments that may lead to proposals to limit membership in technical organizations, prohibit publication in scientific/medical journals, and related matters. WSA must also: • advise on the legal and regulatory implications of any potential changes to existing scientific culture as it relates to conduct of science. E. Partners/Clients: Partners will include: • Corporate Affairs; • R&D; and • WSA. Clients will include: • Legal; • Corporate Affairs; • R&D; and • WSA. F. WRA Resources:

• One senior professional staff inembeis to maintain a working lrnowledge and overview of ethics in science and of developments that and could impact their future shape. • Various members of the department with issues responsibility may be called upon to advise from time to time, depending on the nature of the issues.

ACADEMIC FREEDOMS/ETHICS IN SCIENCE Issue Definition: • Loss of credibility of the Company, the tobacco industry or individual scientists because they have received research funding by a tobacco company. • Assertions of conflict of interest have been raised towards physicians, scientists, academics and others who have received funds from the tobacco industry or who are employed by the industry. These assertions of conflict of interest, or even the threat of such an assertion, have negatively affected the ability of the tobacco industry or its contractors to publish or present the results of research. Business Impacts: This issue may adversely affect our ability to perform, to publish and to support research on important scientific and/or public health issues and consequently: . Undennine the credibility of company testimony, position statements and regulatory responses as well as the ability to market our products in some venues and the ability to smoke in some venues. • Negatively affect the Company with regard to the scientific community in many ways: impedes corporate hiring; may increase the difficulty of keeping current employees; hinders participation at scientific meetings and interactions in a constructive mamier with those in the scientific community; impedes the ability to obtain consultants and expert witnesses. It may also affect future activities, e.g., the acceptance of research results and corporate statements made to regulatory agencies. • Diminish our ability to credibly articulate our views on scientific data and interpretations in the appropriate venues. Business Objective: • Encourage ethics in science to promote academic freedom, so that research is judged on the basis of the science performed, not by who has performed the work; not by where the work was performed, nor who has fimded it; specifically: • Ensuring objective evaluation of scientific research, inespective of funding mechanism. • Maintaining and enhancing our ability to provide both internal and independently conducted scientific and technical information to the Corporation.