INFOTAB Board Meeting - 30th and 31st October 1983
The six founder members were all represented at
the Board meeting, namely,
B.A.T., Imperial, Phillip Morris, Reemtsma, R. J.
Reynolds and Rothmans. The
associate members were represented by Mr. F. J.
Janet of Burrus.
The following were the main points that came up
during the course of the
meeting, after the statement by Phillip Morris
which resolved the problem that
had arisen in Holland. The Chairman emphasised the
need for industry
co-operation.
1. The Board reiterated its policy to resist
legislation in any country that
restricted the industry's activities. They
particularly wish to resist
enabling legislation.
2. Efforts should be made to try to form NMAs,
particularly in major
countries, where these did not yet exist.
3. Further efforts should be made to recruit
machine manufacturers as allied
members.
4. Relations with monopolies would be on an
informal basis. No monopolies
would be invited to become members of INFOTAB.
S. The developing countries group is being
established.
6. Taxation. This was emphasised as the most
important topic facing the
industry at the moment. A paper had been
circulated to NMAs. A
consultant would be available on a trial basis to
help individual
countries, if needed. He is Sir Ronald Radford,
who is retiring from the
International Committee for co-operation on tax
and excise.
7. Work would continue on economic impact studies.
Special models would be
developed for individual countries on the basis of
a pattern produced by
Professor Ingo Walter. These studies should be
particularly helpful in
the Third World, but in the meantime, an overall
study for Europe as well
as for the ten countries of the European
community, would also be
considered.
8. Winnipeg. There was a review of the changes
since the Stockholm
Conference. The main topics that were aired were
advertising, taxation,
passive smoking, social costs, social
acceptability and industry
credibility. The conference has also recommended
that more research be
done on low tar.. Attached at Appendix A is the
list of recommendations
for industry action round the world. NMAs may need
to strengthen their
resources to cope with the renewed attack by the
WHO and the UICC.
9. Membership. It was agreed to approach Ainerican
brands to see whether they
would consider becoming members.
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10. Advertising. Reference was made to the
booklet, "Tobacco Advertising
Bans And Consumption In 16 Countries". This had
been prepared basically
by Paul Bingham of B.A.T. and published by the
International Advertising
Association. It will be translated into Spanish
and French. The Verband
was arranging to translate it into German.
One of the INFOTAB recommendations subsequent to
Winnipeg is
"Close consideration be given to the claim by
opponents that the industry
lacks a credible advertising stance due to
by-passing goverment
regulations and voluntary agreement.'
11. Reference was made to the FAO Programme in
Rome. Successful presentations.
had been made to delegates of a number of
countries. This will be
followed up by further meetings both in Rome and
with the Governments of
countries where tobacco is particularly important,
especially in the
Third World.
12. Credibility. The need to have credibility in
all our activities was
stressed. Most companies agreed that we must
continue to press wherever
possible on the primary health issue and use new
evidence that came to
light. The type of activities carried out by
FOREST should also be
reinforced. There are also other topics,
particularly passive smoking,
.-7 on which we have good stories to tell. We must
do so actively.
13. Passive Smoking. There would be a symposium in
Vienna in January. The
difficulty the industry faced was that negative
findings of research were
almost never published. We should broaden the
scientific basis beyond
the U.S.A. and Germany. We should find suitable
people to continue the
research.
14. Social Costs and Social Issues. Useful
articles and research had been
produced and published on "Smoking in the Work
Place", rebutting earlier
work which had attacked the industry. A series of
articles are now being
written which were to be included in a single
volume to be published next
year. They will cover Health, Economies and Public
Policy.
In this connection, it was agreed that the subject
of courtesy should be
further examined.
15. In closing the meeting. Mr. Andrew Reid,
Chairman of INFOTAB this year,
re-emphasised the need for co-operation within the
industry.
RLOE/CT
8 th November 1983
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BATCo document for Province of BritiSh Columbia 27
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