Daily Doc: PM, 1990: Smoking & Health Research Activities in Europe
Daily Doc: Smoking & Health Research Activities in Europe
Title: Smoking and Health Research Activities in Europe [Privileged and confidential attorney's work product.]
PM, 1990
Bates #: 2023223372/3383
March 24, 2000
This "privileged and confidential attorney-work-product" from the Philip Morris (PM) document site reveals the real purpose of PM's European biological research labs: to create data that contradicts the science on environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), as evidenced in the following passages:
Science and Technology is staffed by 9 academics....Their mission is centered on environmental tobacco smoke and commissioning researchers and potential authors of scientific papers to produce data, publications or statements that contradict or correct the scientific misinformation about ETS....and...
The S&T [Science and Technlogy] group directly commissions contract work on ETS. These projects are designed to provide data to support the industry's responses to damaging studies in ETS.From the above statements, it isn't much of a leap to conclude that results of research emanating from these labs was pre-ordained to support the industry.
(emphasis added)
This paper also reveals that the industry gave grants to prominent universities for non-tobacco-related research. Why? A logical conclusion would easily be that it was important for the industry to curry the favor of these respected research institutions to help 1) create the appearance of credibility-by-association, and 2) buy their friendship (meaning: silence) on tobacco and health related issues.
But perhaps the most interesting: this paper also reveals the "problem" of Dr. Adlkofer, one of the industry's scientists in Munich. Dr. Adlkofer proposed and conducted research that, if allowed to proceed unchecked, could produce unfavorable results for PM and the industry. This meant Adlkohfer had to be watched. Two of the troublesome things that Dr. A wanted to study were the acute reactions of the airways to secondhand smoke, and the amount of cadmium that collects in the lungs of smokers compared to nonsmokers.
Regarding Dr. A, this passage is a real bust:
Philip Morris recently succeeded in blocking Adlkofer's plan to conduct a lifetime animal inhalation study of sidestream smoke.(...an INBIFO study had shown that in a 90-day inhalation test, no non-reversible changes had been detected. In a lifetime study, the results were almost certain to be less favorable. Based on the analysis, the other members of the German industry agreed that the proposed study should not proceed.)
CITATION
Title: Smoking and Health Research Activities in Europe [Privileged and confidential attorney's work product.]
Type of Document: Report
Author: Holtzman, A
Date: 19900000/E
Page Count: 12
Site: Philip Morris Document Site http://www.pmdocs.com/
Bates No. 2023223371/3383
URL: http://www.pmdocs.com/getallimg.asp?DOCID=2023223372/3383
Found using search criteria: Rupp and work product
QUOTES
This memorandum is to record the substance of reports made...concerning tobacco research activities conducted by Philip Morris, its affiliates and industry organizations in which Philip Morris is a member, in Europe.
...The Science and Technology group (S&T) was established in 1984...and presently reports to Steve Parrish of PM-USA.
Science and Technology is staffed by 9 academics....Their mission is centered on environmental tobacco smoke and commissioning researchers and potential authors of scientific papers to produce data, publications or statements that contradict or correct the scientific misinformation about ETS.
...S & T is also active in attempting to develop lines of communication with members of the research community who are not involved in smoking and health, as a means of cultivating goodwill and credibility. In this connection, S & T provides small "university grants" to support projects unrelated to smoking and health.
S & T performs an educational mission, receiving delegations of journalists from many countries who are invited to...tour the facilities. S&T has prepared a program...putting forward the industry's side of both the primary [health] issue and ETS. The visits are organized by Burson-Marstellar.
The objectives of S & T were described as:
1. To counter "anti-tobacco" claims;
2. To disseminate accurate scientific information; 3. To support gathering relevant data; and 4. To develop communications and goodwill with the scientific community...
Activities which are not part of S&T's mission are: product liability statements, safer cigarette arguments; challenging the exactness of data implying harm from smoke (e.g., 5,000 deaths per year from second-hand smoke).
The S&T group directly commissions contract work on ETS. These projects are designed to provide data to support the industry's responses to damaging studies in ETS.
It also makes grants to established investigators for work not directly related to tobacco. They are designed to maintain a connection with the scientific establishment by supporting reputable work with prominent investigators at well-known institutions.
...The third unit is the industry owned and operated research laboratory in Munich, directed by Dr. Adlkofer.....There have been some disagreements between Adlkofer and Philip Morris about certain projects he has proposed. Philip Morris recently succeeded in blocking Adlkofer's plan to conduct a lifetime animal inhalation study of sidestream smoke. (...an INBIFO study had shown that in a 90-day inhalation test no non-reversible changes had been detected. In a lifetime study, the results were almost certain to be less favorable. Based on the analysis, the other members of the German industry agreed that the proposed study should not proceed.)
A list of ETS projects proposed by Aldkofer was shown on a slide...(Certain projects relating to the measurement of effects of passive smoking in humans - e.g. acute reactions of the airways, content of cadmium in the lung of smokers and nonsmokers - should be closely followed).
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