Daily Doc: PM, Mar 28, 1974: Ford Motor Company
Daily Doc: Ford Motor Company
Title: Ford Motor Co.'s Cardiovascular Intervention Program
PM, Mar 28, 1974
Bates #: 1003288768/8770
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 09:57:34 -0600
Daily Doc: Ford Motor Company
I found an interesting series of correspondence while researching the tobacco industry's responses to the introduction of corporate programs that encouraged employees to be tobacco-free.
The first document is an internal Philip Morris memo that discusses the Ford Motor Company's Cardiovascular Intervention Program. The goal of Ford's program was to encourage high-risk employees to modify their lifestyles to reduce risk of cardiovascular ailments. PM wanted to use Ford's program for research purposes of their own, and sent Dr. William L. Dunn to try and persuade the program's coordinator to operate the program in a way that would be more useful to PM....
CITATION
Title: Ford Motor Co.'s Cardiovascular Intervention Program
From:W.L. Dunn
To: Dr. H. Wakeham
Date: March 28, 1974
Site: Philip Morris http://www.pmdocs.com/ No. of Pages: 3
URL: http://www.pmdocs.com/getimg.asp?pgno=0&start=0&bool=1003288768&docid=1003288768/8770 (remember to cut and paste entire URL into your browser)
QUOTES
I explained to him [Mr. Beard, the program coordinator for Ford's Cardiovascular Intervention Program] the one idea we...had as to how we might obtain useful data from the Ford program. Assuming that some cigarette smokers would not be able or not wish to quit, we could make available to them cigarettes at various tar delivery levels, perhaps 6, 9, 12 and 15 mg. Supplied at nominal cost, the subject could begin on the 6 mg. cigarette, shifting up only if dissatisfied, settling with time upon the point of best compromise. Other schedules might prove even more interesting, such as periodically bringing him back down to 6 mg for retrial.
Mr. Beard was...tactful in expressing his disinterest...He said he'd think about it and let me know. It's been three weeks...
Following is the letter Mr. Beard wrote to Dr. Dunn in response to his offer of reduced-cost low-tar, low nicotine cigarettes for use in Ford's program:
March 21, 1974
Dr. William L. Dunn
Associate Principal Scientist
Philip Morris, U.S.A.
Research Center
4201 Commerce Road
Richmond, Virginia
Dear Dr. Dunn,
I have reviewed my notes concerning our recent conversation....
As to your offer to supply cigarette to those in the program who find it hard or impossible to quit at reduced priced with varying levels of tar and nicotine, I believe that you have misunderstood the purpose of the program. The intent is not to provide volunteers with alternative ways of maintaining those habits which elevate ones probable risk of heart disease. Our goal is to extinguish such habits...
Being a former -- two pack a day smoker, I know that anybody can quit smoking. I further know that had I not quit entirely, I would still be smoking at the same or a greater rate. Therefore it is felt that we will have to refuse your kind offer and limit any potential avenue of cooperation to possible periodic examination of anti-smoking data.
Thank you again for your kind concern,
Sincerely Yours,
Donald I. Beard, Coordinator
Cardiovascular Intervention Program
You can see the above letter at the Philip Morris site: URL: http://www.pmdocs.com/getimg.asp?pgno=0&start=0&bool=1003288771&docid=1003288771
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