Tobacco Documents Online

RADI= REPQRTS INC. Report on Smoking, over WABC-TfT, NY, & ABC-TV Net 7:00 P.M„ January 11, 1964 SPECIAL RUSH SERVICE ANNOWCER: "The News Department of the American Broadcasting Company presersts, 9Report on Smoking,° the highlights and the significance of today gs government report on smoking and health. Here is ABC correspondent Bob Youngt" YOUNG: "aood evening. 52 years ago, an obscure German scier:tistz named Adler published a clinical report saying that he 9d Pound a connee- tion between smoking and lung caneer, his work went almost unnoticed at the time, because cigarette smoking had yet to become a eormton world-wide habit. But the Shcer report did serve to create some serious medical doubts about tobaeco, which have been growing ever since. "Well today, a federal grand jury, - - - a federal panel, rather, of scientists, assembled in TIFL 0520940 TMDA 0009340

2 Washington to d2zxmM disclose the latest report on the effeets oQ smoking. This ten man group was appointed fourteen months ago by the Surgeon 2ratm General's ofi'ice, and has been working ever siiaoe$ reviewing ten to twelve thousand studies on smoking, somes of them Iasolvitmg interviews with as many as 100002000 sc;b jeQts o "The results were disclosed at a netis conference in the State Department auditorium. At the requestion of ABC Science Sd9.tor, Jules Bergmrtn, Surgeon General Luther Terry summed up those firMings s" TERRY: "I think briefly the eomnittee fls report may be summarized in this way: firet, that there is a definite significant health hazard asso- eiated with cigarette smoking; that the degree of this hazard is related to the amount of smoking, both 3rAx terms of the amount in a day 9s time and ove r a period of a lifetime; and that the best way to avoid this hazard 3s never to have smoked, but oese who has smoked can decrease the magnitude of this health hasard, and 3mprove his chances, by ceasing to smoke, or even possibly in cutting down." BEROWNs "Doctor Terr9s what were the commi.ttee 'a speeifie findings in terms of cigarette smoking and TIFL 0520941 TMDA 0009341

3 diaeasd?" TERRY: "The oommittee's specific findings related largely to lung cancer, but involved all of the pther types of disease which have been asso- ciated with smoking. In the first place, the Qommiictee felt that the strongest association, and i.n fact, a causal relationship, U that #3 cigarette smoking was the gr3nc3pAl cause for lung cancer, resulting a in some 41,000 deaths in this eountry last year. In addition, they felt that there was a signiPieant and similar type of relationship between cigarette smoking and cancer of the larynx, of voice box. There was also a very clear relation- ship between chronic bronchitis and ea:ph,yzema in relation a to cigarette smokiag, though the causal aspects could not be so clearly proven. I think that one of the other things that the com6itte brought out was the fact that cigars ancd pipes appear to be much less of a health hazard; on the other haad, it did point out that one of the Important points in relation to pipe smoking was a very definite asso- eiation - -- relationship between pipe smoking and cancer of the lipa" BERama: "What about heart disease, Doctor Terry?" FL 0520942 T I TMDA 0009342

TERRYs "This was an area in which, unfortunate3y, the comittee felt that we didnet have all of the evidence that we needed, but that there was a very strong relatiaraship, and probably a causal relation- ship, between heart disease and cigarette smoking." raER0M4: "And what is the Qommittee °s eonelu- sior:?" concluded, in `I'ERRY: "The comn:itteeXj/ jxW effect, after all of this material had been brought forward by saying that cigarette smoking is a health hazard of suffieient importammee in the United States, to warrant appropriate remedial aotiom." YOUNG: "Well today's report, which 3s entitled 'Smoking and Health,' and here 2x It is, is so long,ites 150,000 words, that 9.tQs being printed as a book for distribution to state and federal agencies, and other interested grotaps, too, Eventaally, copies will go to every doctor in the aation, and will be on sale to the public as well. "The study was based principally on men, since women are not as often regular smokers. The comittee conelsded that in the average mele smoker, that is, the pack-a-day or less umn, the chance of lung cancer is about nine to ten times as great as in a non-smoker. With the heavy smoker --- more TIFL 0520943 TMDA 0009343

5 than a pack a day --- the chance is multiplied to twenty-to-one. In other words, the report said that the risk of lung cancer increases, the more you smoke and the longer you smoke; it decreases if you stop smoking. nThe study also reported a far higher Qeath- rate among cigarette smokers than non-smokers, not just from lung eas:cer, but froa: a variety of diseases, principally affecting the heart and blood vessels.Well this is how that breaks down: in groups of men smoking ten cigarettes a day or less, the death rate is 40% higher than in non=smokersj up to 20 cigarettes a day, the rate Increases to 70%; up to 40 cigarettes a day it goes to 90%; and at more than 40, that is, more* than tao packs a day, the death rate jumps to 120% more than that of non-smokers. So on an average, the mortality rate of cigarette smokers is about 70% higher than that of non-smokers. But quitting smoking, even in middle age, improves the chances of survival by a consider- able degree. "Nov these are the ailments that the panel associated with smoking: cancer of the mouth, and in the case of pipe smokers, cancer of the lip; cancer of the lary=, smoking as significant factor; TIFL 0520944 TMDA 0009344

s and cancer of the eaophogas, evidence of the ooranece tioaa, but not enough to say that smoking is a definite cause there; lung cancer, a definite ;ausal relation, the committee saya; also, chronic bronchitis and gulmonary em;th,qzema, a condition of fluid in the lung; peptic ulcers, an association far greater than mith gastric or duodenal ulcers; and heart disease, specificallg,cos:onary artery ailments, a higher death rate among smokers, in fact, the chief reason for the higher death rate, with lung cancer the second. Tvo other ailments also were mentioned: cancer of the b2adder, and s=a cyrrhosis of the 13ver, but the panel said that there was not enough data to support the association in either of those easeso. "The details of the report were top-seeret until the Washington news conference this morning. Then reporters were called in and given copies of the finidings. All ten members of the panel were present, and the question-and-ansvaer fol].oaed. Iiere are some of the highlights of that:" TERRY: "I think that each physician must make an lndividual judgement on it. Of eourse, he should utilize this report and any other information which he has available to him. But I think In order TIFL 0520945 TMDA 0009345

7 !t for the report to be most effective in whatever direction it is effective, it wil]l depend upon the judgeraent, no only of the medical protession tY~~roughout the country, but of many aS other in-• nolved agencies. " RBPCtTERs "When do you feel the second part of the study will get under way?" TERRYs "Actually, we are already underway In © the Public Health 3enrvice, with an analysis of this." REPCRTEFts "Doctor Terry, $s the report specifically doe®nQt say I anything about filters, was this a deoiaion a - - - a deliberate decision by the oonsnittee, or ia this a matter they juet over-looked." `PERRY: "I believe there is a section within the report, at least brieFly, about filters. Doctor Guthrie, could you answer that?" QtFMYS t"The rpport does mention filters briefly= hoNever, the committee felt in general that there is not enough evidence published or available today to ieake a sudgement on filters and their etfeat on a hazard to health at this time." REPORTERs "Doctor Terry, if you were in private practice, on the basis of this report, what would you advise your patients about smoking?" TIFL 0520946 TMDA 0009346

8 TERRY: "I missed --= I m-- what would I advise..." FiFPORTER: "IP you were in private practice, and on the basis of this report, what would you advise your patients about smoking?" TERRY: "Fra:akly, I would advise a person, In light of this- -- - the conclusiveness of this report and the clear indication of an associated health haaard, that if that individual wished to smoke, s one should certainly do it, with a recog- nition that he was u:adertaking and subjecting him- self to a definite health risk.lE" REPCRTER: "I°d like to ask Doctor Burdett, iP he could come up for a second, using the a miero- phone, and define for us the eommitteesls own feelings ab®dtt how serious a public health prob- lem smoking is." TERRY: "Doctor Burdett, would you?" BDRDETTs "I think you could define this in terms of numbers= in the case of a aareinoma of the lung, where the mortality rate shows the high, there are about 41,000 deaths, and tb committee, in this instanee, feels that the major causal factor is smoking, In other areas, the relationship is not so clear-cut. Does this answer your question?" RFPORTSR: "Do you feel a direct causal TIFL 0520947 TMDA 0009347

relationship is now established? Thl.s is what aeany men weren't satisfied with before." BIIRDETT s"Yes, we have - - - I think I Qm speaking for the remainder of the ooronittee, we have felt that in the case of cancer of the lung and there are a other tnes of cancer mentioned here, also In bronchitis and emphyzema, I believe, that there is a direct causal relationship. This oonolu- siow is based an converging evidence of several different t7ves." REPC~tTBRs "Doctor Burdett..." TERRYs "I think Dator Burdett might point out, in addition to that, as a comparison when he speaks of 41,000 deaths from oaroiaa®a of the lung in this oountry per year, that the number of deaths from automobile acoidents, Sa3nc last year, I believe, was around 38,000. This is only for ao®e oompari- tivc substance. "Thereva one other point that I rouid like a to make clear. Doctor Guthrie apparently felt that ia answer to the question about my advice to a per- son on smotcLng indicated that I would advise the pertoII to ContiIIlle to smoke. Th18 I did not mean, I xpft would advise anyone to out - - - to discontinue smoking oigarettes. But, if he were to continue TIFL 0520948 TMDA 0009348

10 smoking e3garettes, be a sh( tion of the health hazard." Iatt:'t?i`i'Etti S "wOudd y0u s tart ?" IERYYs "I certainly i not to start." REPORTER s "In view o: nomic implicatfons of this : committee say about the poe: caneer-eausiog iaagredients : TERRY: "I doai Qt reca: in this report, relative to so that the comibittee,and I did not address ltself to t< aation, but rather, to the : ship between smoking and he: health hazard assoeiated, u: magnitude of that health ha: REPORTERs "Doctor Burn TERRYs "I°ve even been RBPORTERs "'Doctor Burc t3x JAMA of Iiwecaber 28, l9' of treating tobacco or filt, demonstrated to be effeetiv~ or eliminating the hazard o. TIFL 0520949 TMDA 0009349

11 the view oP this coumlttee as well?" TERRH: "It is my understanding that the committee still has that view, in so far as having any proof of any way of treat3ng..." REPORTER: "I think it'a 3mportant to the news story as to whether - - - could we ask Doctor F4eizer what the committee thinks about fil- ters and mieaimiziaag anything?" TERRY: "I°d like to ask Doctor Hundley to speak to that." HM1DLEY: "There simply is no evidence which will establish the faet that filters have had any effect in reduofng the health hazards of e3garettea smokirag. " REPORTERt "Was there any study =ade as to whether or not the cause of cancer of the lip in pipe smoking was because of the smoke, or because of the constant 3rritation of the pipe?" HWLEY: "Leonard 3chumm, you want to try that one?" 3CHIIMAPf: "It is, of eourse, not clear as to whether it°s the actual contact irritation, the smoke itself, all we have to go on is the aotual, we sga say, proximity or association between the use of the pipe and the oeeuranoe of cancer an the lip. TIFL 0520950 TMDA 0009350

12 Theae are among the many questions that I°m sure were alluded to in the basis queat3o-a earlier, as to w:zzt kiads of researcll a is requ4red its this whole area." REPORTER t"Doctor Hundley, would yo4sk some appropriate expert on your committee about the effect of air pollution on luZtg cancer? Some of us discussed this a little earlier, slightly, and I'd like to to 3nto some detail as to explain what proportion of the lung cancer deaths might possibly be atbributable to air pollution." HMLEYa "Are you - - - lung eaneer, speQifieally?" REPORTERs "Yes, unless air pollution has effect in other places." HMMLEY: "Well, I can say ings general that the committee held that whether it wasa lung g aanaer, bronchitis or emphyzema, a that air pollution was a very minor faetor, far outweighed by the effect of c3igarette smoklssg. Now if any one member of the committee wants to elaborate on that?" FIRTSs "In the United States, cigarette smoking aacouats for the maJority of lung cancer in man, J®t3 that is in the reporto But however, you will also read in the report that there are TIFL 0520951 TMDA 0009351

13 urban and rural differences, and reports from other eountries, particularly Eugland, mhere a certain area m s - smok3,ng/aY urban areas is very heavg, that perhaps the air pollution eompo- nent is greater. But in the United States, it1s overwhelming cigarette smoking, the eommittee reporti; fin-dB overwhelmingly acoott,nts for the ],ncrease of iung oaheer." REPORTERs "In connection with maternal smokirrg, your conclusions are that the girls give birth to babies of lower ats weight if they smoke, and that- - - so on. Bu~lso in your tobacco material, here you refer to something that°s even - - - you mention the faet that a greater number of premature deliveries result, and so on out. I note also that you°ve no clear evidence as to the - - - vehat Qs the word - - - neo-natal death-rate, and so on. But I wonder whether Meed get a little more discussion en that, because it in sVite seems to me that is of great signii'ieanee,/dzzik~ of the fact that I suppose it es easy to deliver babies of less *dight than larger ones." TBBRYs "There really isn°t much more that you can say than what you have just referred to. It apparently is a fact that women who smoke deliver~ , TIFL 0520952 TMDA 0009352

14 babies that are smaller, and more often premature 1`+~~~n~1.TZaaiM.rM 86s,la 11nn~e ~~ Y...^.°.~6L. si..w4Pdw.iww.. .. ~ ~ ....~~ .w .. .w ~Of.~. ww..... , we simply do not know." REPdRTER: "There is a neo-natal death rate, though." TERRYs "Yes, and we do not knov if it has any effeoto,." REPCRTER: "How could that not have a relation- shsp to the Yaa ture of the..," i,aa speculate TERRY: "You °an/z*6M53= all you wish. These are fairly recent observations, they're still under extremely active study; part of these come from our own rc para-natal studies sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness, which is just in mid-stream. And we would anticipate that additional data would be coming out of these studies." REPCRTSR: "The doctors ak aould not reoommedii, however, this as a way of making chidd-birth easier?" TERRY: "Certainly not." ffi WOMAN REPCRTER: "Both Doctor 3Sdney Farber of Iiarvard, and Senator Newburger, aho, incidentally,, is introducing two bills next Meek, have said that TIFL 0520953 TMDA 0009353

15 more research shouh be done to find out what is in the tobacco that is causing lung cancer, and then to make steps to take it out. Do you have enough information to make it at all feasible to remove the carcinogenic substances which you've now discovered, to save the tobacco crop?" TERRY: t"No, I'm afraid we do not yet a know enough about how to do this (CROBS-TALK) No, I wouldnQt want to say that. That we have identi- fied appartently so few of the materials that are carcenogenic, compared to what anarently is there totaliy, scoadly, we know so little about what the filter actually does, it may take out a carcenogen, it may also take out an anti-aarceno gen, so you donet know whether 8ouare ahead or not." WOMAN REPCRTERt "6de11, I got the impression that the,DeDar'tment of Agriculture could take the tobacco leaf, not a filter Iss job at all, but pro- duce a tobacco that did not have any of these carcenogenic substances. That was suggested by Senator Newburger." TERRY: "I em s oory, I d on a t know the answe r to that, But it is true that strings of tobacco differ a quite widely in theirs content --- yes, Doctor Burdett." TIFL 0520954 TMDA 0009354

16 BURDETT: "I think something should be said about that, and that 3s that some of the carcenogems are syrathesized at the ttme of burning, and it pouldnIt matter what sort of leaf you had, you would synthedize some of the - - - perhaps Doctor Feizer(?) might somment more authoritatively on that, but it shouldnQt be assumed that the carcenogens are in the lear itself and they're trsns0ormed dieectly into the smoke. Some of the things are made at the time of the smokimg process." REPORTER: "In your considerations, did you come upon any scientific approach that had prosnse of eliminating the health hazard 9savolved 3=s smoking cigarettes?" . TERRY: "Yea, stop. Or don°t start." REPORTER: "Wll was tl:eres aty other way of altering the Qigarette or its ingredisats?" TERRY: "We1S, of course, we're getting into ghase two, here, there are obviously a lot of possibilities: more effective filters is one, strains of tobacco which a would have less hazardous substances in them, sritiohing to pipes or cigars instead of cigarettes, there are a number of avenues, but this really is in phase tao, and this was not a major focus of the oommittee." TIFL 0520955 TMDA 0009355

17 RALSTOAT: "This is John Ralston in Washington, where the Congress and various executive agencies will be debating what to do about the smoking report. The Federal Trade Co®ission today said 3tgs considering whether, and how, to use its powers a to regulate cigarette advertis3ng. "In Cot:gress, several senators and repre- sentatives have, for a long time, been proposing new laws to deal with the problem. They are delighted by the new amunition todayts report gives them. No one Qe predicting a law a:ill be passed azW time sooe:, but at least one Congressional hearing is expected to result. "One of those proposing legislation is Democratic Senator Frank Norrison of Utah." MCRRI3(N: "I am the author of a Senate bill, xhioh would make tobacco subject to the Pure Food and Drug Act. I°ve asked the chairman of the Senate Labor Comm3ttee to begin at once h public hearings ps on my bill. The smoking of tobacco has a long history ln our eotmtry. An important it:dustry is degendant on it, I do not believe that we can or should attempt to prohibit legislatively the use of tobacco. Compulsion aill not solve the smoking problem any more than legal prohibition TIFL 0520956 TMDA 0009356

18 solved the alcoholic beverage problem. But I do believe that we must g begin to explore oon- arete measures to counter what is an obvious and serious health menace." RALSTC1Kq "Democratic Senator from Oregon, Maureen Neuberger, also fighting for new laws, and she proposes a many-sided information program to prevent smoking, especially by young persons." NEUBERGE'R :"An ednea t ion program can ge t underway right z away, sponsored through the Depart - ment of Education which is In our Cabinet post of We lfare , Health, Education and/3tM XW I°d like to see the Federal Trade Commisgftn do something about regulating the advertising. I°m never going to give up on researeh, and I agree with the Medical Assoe3stiaci, that we can continue the researeh, bo0h through government snVport, and the private founda- tions. And f3naliF, a ti labelling act, which will 3ndicate the amount of tars and niootines fdst and other harmful substance in each package of eigarettes. This, in itself, will be a warning, and will help the companies do something about developing a safer eigarette. " RAIRTCH: "A vigorous opponent of Sans cigarette legislation is Democratic Senator Sam Ervin of TIFL 0520957 TMDA 0009357

19 North Carol4na. Tobacco is extremely important to his state, and he has long followed the x evi- dence of its effect on health." EV0s "I personally donQt believat that there Qs any substantial evidence that smokiag is a health hazard. 84ven if you assume the correctness of me their ca®clusiams, I don°t think it4s cause for government regulations, because they donQt specify the extent of the hazard, and itls like automobiles: automobiles kill more Smericaas thaA have died in all the aars this eountryas ever fought, and yet I think that despite that the automobile serves a useful purpose, and Iwouldn't favor regulating it, anr more than trying to make it operate !n a reasoa- able marmer." RAI3'PLKt "We spoke to a Republican 3enetor from another big tobacco state, I Thruston At,rtoei, of Kentueky, who predicted Congress will not pass a lau against eigarettes, and stressed an economic nasC!!= a MCHTQHf "F'ra~a a clinical standpoint, I ean ° t quarrel with the finding a of the eomittee. I°m certainly not adept or trained in 9es that area. TIFL 0520958 TMDA 0009358

20 i But I think that all Amerieans ought to realize thiss that there are maoy Droduats; --- sugar to name one --- trhicsh could be harmlttl. The dege- tariaaa claim beeP is harmful. But tobacco means the livelihood, or most of the livelihood, of nearly 17,000,000 Americaas. And all of the crop only brings 1,700,000 dollars to the farmers of Ameriea. It actually yields, ia direct taxes, $3,200,000 to atate and federal governments. 8urthermore, in rW own hosx tonin of bouisville, there are tens of thousands ot jyeople 9ho depend entirely for their Jobs on the tobacco industry. Now before we aet, before we beoome hhyssterioal, let•s just atop and thiuk, for there are other things that are unhealthtul, and let ts use our best Judgement, and s~ eaeroise some sease. of proportioes. " AAI3TOts "Tobacco manutacturers, ahaee cigarette sales keep itaereasi,ag despite medical Nasniags, took today's report calml?n to Judge by the statement of George Allen of the Tobacco Iastitute=" ALbEBs "While it will obviously not be possible for me to eosmeat In detail aa this 387 Page TIFL 0520959 TMDA 0009359

21 report, so soon after receiving it, a few obser- vations are immediately pertinant. First, Iem sure that the report will receive the careful studies it so obviously deserveso Seeond],y, further research is needed, as Surgeon General Terry said In his 2 press conference this morning, there's a great deal we do not know on this subject. ge specifically rejected a suggestion that no further research was needed. In short, this report is not the final chapter. Finally, the tobacco industry, which ia already supporting a considerable health research program, standsa ready to inorease that sup®ort, and also to cooperate with the k government and with other groups, on any project which offer possibilities for filling the gsps In lawuledge which still exist in this broad Pidid of salenti- fi0 OonCelRi." ffiRtiWs "Tlsis is ABC °s Science Bditor, JUles Heroen. The question is, what happens now? Will Amerieans stop smoking? What will the Pubiio Sealth Service reav®mend? Tonlght, aad In the Meeks abead, the Public Health SsrVioe gets nndereay with phase teo= this is a study to what tod do, what remedial action is needed as called for In the report? And these are the steps that will be aansidered: TIFL 0520960 TMDA 0009360

0 first, declared Surgeon General Lttther Terry, a masa education cangtaign to stopp or out do= ao smoicing, a drive especially aimed at stopping teenagers never starting to smoke; two, labelling of cigarette packagea, pointing out the possible dangersf/th~q a reseaesh campaing to develop truly effective Pilters, scientists weQve talked to feel that an effective filter can be developed; tour, the developing of artificial tobaeeos, early experimentation i with vegetable leaves is most promising, toward the possible development of tobacco substitutes without tar or niaotine= Pive, mnah more researchq, as very large research progras, perhaps ane organized along the lines of Amerieaes missile projects, with top scientists tmited and more P1mds in a concerted drive to maIoe smoking sale, and ultimately to fUd the elusive onre for eaaeer. Not all of these reeommendatiaDs will be adopted in pbase two, but it 's almogt certain that several of them. wlil. Will Americans stop snoki.ng? Even tbe dostors themselves have big doubts. And it aMt baVpsned is Stegland 4s aaW alue, most Aerorioasas won't give up smoking. Two years ago when the Royal Coliege of Surgeons blasted smo3cirg ~s Britons eut down. But despite vaminga, sales baire gone back up. TjFL 0520961 TMDA, 0009361

23 "The medical evidence is now clearly spelled out, telling the risks.Bvery smoker will now have to make up his a own mind about whether to continue. But smoking, in the thiited States, aan never, and will never be the aame after today. Here again is Bob Young." YOUGs "Despite all the reports of the past ten years, more than 70,000,000 a! AmerioaAs do smoke, and support an Industry * representing $8,000,000 a year. But toW+s report rrill not be shrugged off as easily as all the others bave been. AseriaaAs will not be prahibited;/kttsmoking, but they've been given fair warning by the Surgeon Oeneral ls oo®ittee, that they are risking their health by aontinuift to do so, In vieN of the Surgeon {ieneral ls report todaY# the Aaerioao Broadcasting Co®pany announced that it will re-esamiae its advertising polioies and standardd, relating to cigarette oomseroials. This is Bob Young report3ng." TIFL 0520962 TMDA 0009362