SM0=G AND HEALTH - QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. SMOKING
(a) Smok-in as the cause of lum cancer
Does your Company now accept that cigarette
smoking
causes lung cancer and other disea-ses?
A. As tobacco manufacturers we are not co=etent to
express any authoritative view on a medical
matter.
We recognise that a substantial nu-_::)er of
medical.
authorities have expressed the opi-4on that a
causal
relationshi'o has been established between
cigaretze
smoking and lung cancer and certain other diseases
for a minority of smokers, while some doctors and
other sc-4e=ti--:'--*c exzerts have e=ressed
doubts about
the evidence. It seems to us that. 4-- t"--e a
.osence
of clinical- mroof of tL-e mechani-== the
ssue of causation at tile Dresenz t-e -_re=P-s
controversial. This -, cAr 0n17 be finally
controvers,
resolved through furrLber resea--c'-- s-_J. th~e
irdustr7
is prepared to co-opezate -.with ana medical'
authorities i_- a--7. such work.
NO= if it is t'-noug-t to be approp:`_a~;a _i-,
co-_-_-_ be adae'd
-at -4- 1962, t'--e Rs7al Coll. ege of I r -Gr-2
U.K. , s7ated znaz sr-o",-'-- was "a -_-a'c_~-,
which most
smokers en"07 w-it-'Ou-c J_M1Juz7 t0
Discretion needs to be exe-rcised '--ers -4-
cuo7ing tte
above because the R07a-1 College of Fh7sicians
report
condemned smoking in other respects. and t---e
questioner may then point this ouz.
(b) Passive Smokinz
Do you not agree that passive smok-n- is haz=ful
to
the non-smoker?
A. In our view this appears to be an exa;zgeratled
area of
concern, and two studies carried cu-~ Germaa7. by
Dr. H.P. Harke su-Dzo=--. this view.
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...... /CONT - 2
1. SMOKING cont.
(c) Benefits of Smokiniz
Are there any benefits in smoki-ag?
A. Those who smoke certainly believe they derive
certain
benefits from smoking, such as relief from stress
or
increased ability to concentrate, or ever- =2re
enjoyment.
NOTE if it is thought to be appropriate, it could
be added
that the U.S. Surgeon Genera-l's Reuort in 19&L on
smcki.ag and health stated, "if the thesis is
accented
that the fundamental nature of man will nor caange
significantly in the foreseeable future, it is
t!ien safe
to predict that man will continue to utilise
pharmacological a.-ids in his search for
Discretion needs to be exercised here in cuot-T
tLe
above because the Stirgeon General's report
ccr-demned
smoking in other respects, and the questioner
:na:,-, then
point this out.
(d) Effect of smokinz on -oreq-m-t mothers and
'unborn babieEz
Recent advertisements by tne H9a--- Educatulor-
Cou=J-1-
have -~-dicated. rae -rer-j seri3us ef~ecta of
S=cz=n~ on
d-ces
prexnan moraeL-s a--,-= theiz- -unborn- babies.
BAT feel about t*-,-i--?
-c on -me
1 z has never been auz z)ol.-,, t,'; cc=en
advi-ce given by dcc-.ors to zPatients. We
a!-.,ra:j-s believed t'a-,; modez--on SmoknF, aS
in eati,,z
or dLri=-k-4-ng, is desi-rable, --d it z
cer-tairly c',Lr View
t-hat tnis belief s~-ould ap-p17 110t only t~
p=eS--P--:7
Mothers but aiso t the Dub';__'c in general.
2. EI&-=S IN CIGARETTES
(a) Effects of nicotine
Is nicotine harmful to the consumer?
This =- be a matt-er for aut'--orit--ez
u
to dete--mine.
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...... ICONT
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2. FME=S IN CIGARETTES cont.
(b) Effects of carbon monoxide
There is carbon monoxide in C4garette smoke.
Surely this is harmful to t~ze consumer?
A. This must be a matter for the medical
authorities
to dete-ine.
(c) Effects of tar
Q, Medical- authorit.-Les have advocated tthe
reduction
of "tax" in ciga~e=es. Is t=, in fact, the
ha---ful
e-,ement?
A. This must be a matt-er for zhe =e--;ica--
wathcz-ities to
aeeteermin., but ou= Gzoup has, -4- --fact, over
the last
few yea--s taken ncs=.,7e s-~a-p-= to retuca rae
ta=
content of its b~ran,-'-=.
(d) Pesticides
A-re pes-~icides apz:-----:eA- t-o toZacco leaf
used im
yo= cigaxet-:es? 7~ c0, t--'~ not
human health?
A. We have no evidence the levels of -cesticides
avolied to the tobacco lea.-," whLch we ourchase
are
=-jurious to healt'-".
Nevertheless, our Group efforts are directed to
influencing leaf g--owe~ls to furt'her reduce the
existing low levels of pesticides.
(e) Cadmium
To what extent is the metall Cadmium preseat in
your
cigarettes? Is tL1117s not izijuzi-ous to human
health?
A. We have examined -this and the ev--,dence is
that the
levels of Cadmium i--n smoke are less than the
levels
of it in food s-maff-=.
It= Cad=-um is a trace ele=ezit (me-a') presen- in
soils.
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2-. ELEMENTS IN CIGARETTES cont.
(f) Radio active elements
It has been said that cigarette smoke contains
radio"
active elements which may be harmful. Is this
cozrect?
A. This must be a matter of the medical
authorities to
determine, but-on-17- a very small minorJty of
medical-
opinion is concerned about this particular
point.
PRODUCT
(a) Ciza--ettas Ha-=.-,F'al Product-=
Why does you-- com-Dar-7- sell productuz a::-e
health".5
~Iax-mful to
A. Ci-c-arettes are acce'Dted by al! -over-e=-~z
as --e-a.!--
7.-
=arketable Droducts. They therefore co-",;-Ue
t. o.be on sale to the public unless the ler:al
sit-'atior-
chan3es. In our view, it is in the pu~~-LLc
-in-'ares-c
--',a-. they should be producei- by a grou~p suca
as ours
:-hic~i has for years been dee-ply invol-,-rer-~
in sm-okim- a.--,;
aealth researc- and which has always sho-..fn
concern. foz-
-he consumer in the mor-itori-mg and modificat4CM
of it=
Iroducts.
(b) Reccnstituted Tobacco Leaf
G. Some experiments on smoke condensate have shown
chat reconstituted tobacco leaf has a lower mouse
skin
tumorigenicity than standard tobacco leaf - are
you
therefore substituting the former for the latter
in
you-- products?
Yes - in a number of brands sold by our Grou-o
comDanies,
Zecoastit-ated tobacco leaf is used. At oresent
the
,)ro-oortion used is small and there are, o~
course,
'oroblems of the acceptability to the consumer if
larger L--j
amounts were to be used. I= the absence of medical
,Jud.-ement, we have of course never claimed an:7
hea1z'
advantage for our brands in Wh_jCjj reconstituted
leaf
-s used.
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3. T=- PRODUCT
(c) Ai_--ctxred cixarettes with low suzar content
Does B.A.T. accept the theory that air-cured
cigarettes with low sugar content are less
hazar-lous
to healt2i thaa flue-cured cigarettes?
A. This particular theory was the subject of the
editorial
az!t-Jcle published in The Lancet on 27th
January'1072.
The concluding sentence of the editorial said
"The=e is zQ basis for the United Kingdom
Gove--mmemt
to :recommend those Vao must smoke to clioosa
cigarettes
made ,.ro= a!_--cured tobacco with low-Sugar
cmtent
in preference to cigarettes made from flue-cuxed
(d "S_-ez" Ci!zare~,tes
Do yrou be-, i eve that cigazettes wit'.- zocacco
7 . I
s. c---- mate~_-als or mod-4-fied in ot:~er wa:ys
wil I, be
soz. the Consumer?
A. Z is a mate, er f ol- tlie medic aj ait_'-crit
J', a s a_,d z_-
field we o Z' course welcome the '.TO=-" IV, 4 -
nlca
be~`-- u=daztalken by the Hunter U-1.
(e) Tobacco substirute smokino material-s
Q. Is 3. '.T. planni to use tobaccc sub-stitute
szokiz=
Mate=,Ials in its ciga-rettes?
A. B.A..T. has.been concerned with tobacco
subst-tuta
th;t
smozzmg inaterials zince 1962, aad before
date
with liomogenised or reconstituted nat-urall
tobacco.
'We '--a7e submitted tobacco substitute
m-aterial's - ouz
ovin and other manufacturers - to both b-iological
and
co=Su=er preference tests.
3 =1 decision to market cigarettes cor__t_a_4--::z
suc-;,,
mater--als will depend on:-
-hat the sU_0s'!-it"-,a =aterials
Ouz being satisfLed 1.
'_,ave no disadvantages for the cons"Ir-er. c::D
T~ie acce
ptability of such ciga=sttas to the
cons=er-.
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November 1999


...... ICONT - 6
3. THE PRODUCT
(f) Ciaars
Q. Are cigars "safe=" than cigarettes?
A. Some doctors have made this statement, but in
ot= view
it is not possible to give a clear cut answer to
the
question, because the comparative effects on
health
attributad to the smoking of cigars and cigarettes
are
extremely difficult to assess, since they depend
so
much on the wa,7 in which individual consu=e=s
s-Troke
the product.
4. RESEARCH
(a) aad Healt-', --e-se-a-c-'a exce-rd-ituze
What is the e-,menditraze cf your Group on
S=okim,=- =-nd
=ealltt researc'--?
A. Cve::~ two ---:---1-4on jounds Dez, annu---
direct---, on =~zk~-F
and healt'a =esea-"cn and substantiai sums on
o-j==-=
--esearca 4-zd-i----ct17 relat~ad- to tlie
prob-L-az.
(b With ar,4-a7=
Are you enzaged in exper-J=ents on anime-13 as
-na::--- of
your Grou-j smoking and health research prog=a=e?
A. Research on rodents and similar sDecies is tte
approach in this area. Biological work is
cu==ently
carried out on ou= behalf by professiona.1,
scientists
and by a few of our own scientists in one outsaae
laboratory. In addition, towards the end of
-1974L, it
is planned to undertake si-nilar work in one of
our own
laboratories in England.
A-11 the above work is under the strict cont=ol
properly exezcised by Governments.
(c) The aatu=e of Groun Saokinz and Health L14
G. What kind of research is yoLLr Group doing c=
smokLag C:D
and health?
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...... /CONT - 7
4. RESEARCH cont.
Cc) The nature of GrouD Smokinz and Health
research cont.
A. Our smok ng and health research covers a very
wide field
but broadly it falls into t-do categories. Firstly
the
comparative testing of the properties of different
t7pes
of cigarette smoke, and secondly, fundamental
research.
by biological methods on how particular components
of
c-iSaxette s=oke im-C-aract with Darticulaz,
biological
s7 srems.
.7. ADVERTZSLNG
C-;_Z-aret-~e ad-,rez,-,- Z-
Does cizazetta --:-c:,eas-= tuctai cons=t-,:--=?
A. Thaze --IS na -,ral-`-~ -2-1---:d-2nce tc
Suppcrt- this contentuior-
a=-:- Siz jos-3,D the 3-ritls'-- Sec:-,,e-car7 of
State
I= Social Ser-r-ceS. said -4--- the Brizish House
of Co-ons
e q a
on 6th Februa--7 1~7'1;: zhal "countries whIcIz
hav b -e
c-4xC-"-ette aavertisina- a-, tooet~ie=- '--ave
not sho~,n a f--.
COMS.-L-n--tion Of
(b)
Bu-U your advertisfng i-r-fluences people to
choose a
p az--licular braad a:--d thus in a sense hp-ms
them?
A. Smo'king is ar- adu-'--, choice. We have always
taken t-e
attitude that it is sensible for consumers to
exercise
moderation in smolr-L---, as im other things. Our
advert-4size; does nor encourage smoking to excess
or
ch.ildren to smoke.
Cc) Advertisine/Saokirlz and Health e.-cDenditure
Va-j does the industz-7, spend muc-'- more on
advertisinsz
than smckin-- and tealth research?
A. A comDarison of the two fig-ares iz really
irrelevant.
Adverri-siag e-Npend-LOLLZe is related to the
compet-itiVe LIJ
situation in the ma=ket in any f::,ee enterprise
coun
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...... /CONT - 8 -
5. ADVEMISING cont.
(c) Advertisinix/Smokingz and Health e-,menditure
cont.
A. Smoking and health research is related, to the
identification of research projects which are
cons4dered by our scientists to be of real value
in
solVI-119 the problem ar-d we have always been
willing
to finance such projects.
(d) TIT and Radio
Why are you so reluctan-. to nominate a company
~-eDresentative to appear on TV or radio smoking
and
hea.lt= programmes?
A. 3ecause the exoerience of t.-.e industry has
been thbat
SUc_- pzogrammes are no,~; objec-,;ive in tae=
app:7oaca
to t'--e subject.
'IARZ7,_.LTA
(a) Lezislati on
Wha- wculd -,ou-- a-.tizude be 1_~ mar' 4uana
we_~e to -c-2
-ez= -==d?
A. T'-,--.' S i_= a h~~_ o-4_'-etica7 ques-:` on.
seems hi;z-=_-Y
doub-:f-al, on present e,,--4-ence, tLat any
Fove-Men4
wil_: legalise it.
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BATCo document for Province of British Columbia 2
November 1999