12th may 197
TO: CHAIRMAN'S ADVISORY CONFERENCE,
HOT SPRINGS.
REPORT ON THE GROUP R & D CONFERENCE, MONTREAL
5 - 9 APRIL 1976
The following points and questions were raised
for consideration at Hot Springs:
1. Modificatiorsto the assumptions on which the Smoking
and Health Divisional Plan is based were suggested
as follows:
a) Although nicotine will be considered by some
doctors to be less harmful than tar, there wil-I
be increasing recognition, by some medical
authorities, that smoking is a nicotine dependent
activity. This will, in part, condition attitudes
to nicotine.
b) There will be an increasing tendency to associate
specific smoke constituents with particular diseases.
c) Although medical authorities will continue to advise
smokers not to inhale, they will not be inclined to
press for any specific developments such as products
designed to limit inhalation.
d) The chemical industry in general is now expected to
sit on the fence in relation to nei#-smoking materials,
although ICI and Celanese are expected to seek avenues
for a more aggressive approach.
e) Although product modifications will be seen by the
anti-smokers as an indication of increasing success,
a body of practical doctors will recognise these as'
progress in the direction they desire.
f) The strategy of some anti-smokers is to wean smo kers
from cigarettes by encouraging the development of
very low nicotine cigarettes.
g) We shall be able to achieve technically, with all-
tobacco cigarettes, all that can be done with
substitutes in smoking and health terms.
h) Although no sudden breakthrough is envisaged to
solve the smoking and health problem, scientific
research will give rise to products seen to be
healthier by some authorities.
cl@
I
Contd. cp
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i) Further work on passive smoking will provide a
basis on which dangers to non-smokers from current
cigarette smoking may be alleged with some credibility.
J) There will be medical advances in the treatment of
lung cancer.
2. Additions to the plan were suggested as follows:
I. There is a requirement for more work on the effects
of smoking. This applies particularly in the social
and psychological fields, where it is felt that the
benefits of smoking may well be identified.
II. We should study how best to make ethical health claims.
III. More effort should be devoted to nicotine and its
analogues. There is a good case for carrying out
short-term inhalation studies on nicotine for
comparison with tobacco. Contra-indications should
be further explored. The development of very low
nicotine cigarettes for the susceptible minority
already identified should be considered.
IV. An intensive study should be made of passive smoking
to pre-empt further attacks in this area and products
modified, if necessary.
3. The principle-of appointing one or more independent
advisers requires consideration. If the principle is
agreed, how best to proceed?
4. Attention is drawn to item 16 of the Group Research
Notes:
The existence of the published Hunter Committee
Guidelines in the U.K. probably affects the legal
and ethical requirements which would need to be met
in other countries. However, there would clearly
be conflicts of medical opinion between various
countries. Historically, the treatment of additives
demonstrated this, but it also demonstrated that,
in the long term, adoption of standards in one
country does influence standards in others.
5. The Research Conference agreed to postpone further
consideration of the "cross-over" experiment until
the results of a TRC cross-over using cigarette and
cigar tobacco was obtained. In the event of marketing
substitutes, for example, this means that we shall not!
know all we could about relative risks until this
experiment is done (about three years after starting).
On the other hand it may not be considered worthwhile
spending L300,000 or so until it is known whether a
particular substitute is acceptable.
C>
Contd.
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6. The items on Smoking Materials are reproduced here:
(These may be discussed under Hot Springs Agenda Item 8)
(a) The work in B&W on developing non-combustible
cigarette fillers is now complete. However,in
order to keep open the options on non-tobacco
smoking materials, which are available to the
B.A.T. Group, it was agreed that the biological'
testing of the B&W variants and the further
development of non-combustible filler should
continue at Southampton. The meeting would not
support a case for capital investment in semi-
commercial plant at this stage.
(b) The view on competitive tobacco substitutes is that
NSM is currently more acceptable than Cytrel in
biological terms, in spite of its high carbon
monoxide delivery. One, if not both, of these
materials are currently being consumer tested in
the U.K.
(c) In the PRT-71 project, an exercise is currently being
planned to design a small 500 tons per annum plant.
this will not necessarily be based on the Foudrinier
type machine. It could lead to better designs of a
big plant but, in particular, would give more freedom
to all, if successful, to consider introducing PRT-71
with the original health orientated objectives.
7. The Research Conference raises the question:
Should B.A.T. Group consider acquiring a flavour house?-
This is suggested because of the obviously increasing
importance of flavours in cigarettes.---
S. Should the acute animal inhalation tests available at
Southampton be used for any ad-hoc product development?
Should the tests be used? Would there be any demand
for tests? If so where should they be set up?
9. A report is expected in the U.S.A. indicating allergenic
properties of smoke. This could be, a very serious
threat and would make the case against passive smoking
more credible. It is hoped to report further at Hot
Springs.
10. It is suggested that some attempt should be made to
answer the question: "What duty do we owe to our
consumers to inform them with respect to our products?"
11. At the end of the Conference, the Aims and-Objectives of
the U.K.. R&D programme were re-examined in the light of
the discussions which had taken place. A number of
conclusions were drawn:-
Contd. co
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a) The role of central R&D was seen by the meeting
to be concerned both with insurance aspects
(anticipating outside research results, etc.)
and with its contribution in providing scientific
foundations on which Company R&D would build.
b) The Biological Research programme might now be
more directed towards the development of specific
products, but policy guidance is needed on the
directions in which we should move, for example,
to lead in health orientated, biologically tested
cigarettes. So far, our central research has been
concerned with providing options; should these now
be taken up? So long as we are concerned merely
with providing options, R&D are necessarily self-
starters, but more positive product development
would require guidance and commitment from No. Is.
Nevertheless, the defensive role of high quality
research across a wide field should not be neglected.
In particular, this enables us to refute allegations
made based on poor quality research.
c) The Aim on Smoking Materials, etc. was reworded as
follows:
To develop the options and the technology for
.the production of smoking materials having
desirable subjective smoking characteristics
and physical properties compatible with tobacco
manufacture, while possessing improved and/or
controlled smoke properties with optimisation
of cost.
The meeting felt it would be desirable to give
indications of the time-scales involved in different
approaches.
d) The Aim of the work on interaction of smoke and
the smoker was considered and after a full
discussion was changed as follows:
To establish in objective terms why people
smoke, how they smoke, and the effect of
product characteristics on smoker response
in order that preferred cigarettes may be
designed.
e) Product design Aims were restated as:
To advance the technical knowledge necessary
to combine the components of cigarettes to
produce predictable effects.
CD
Contd. -co
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f) In the process and engineering development field,
it was agreed that a longer range approach should
be adopted and the processing side particularly
emphasised, although not to the exclusion of all
machinery development. The Aim was changed to.
To pursue longer range developments in tobacco
and filter processing and handling techniques
so as to establish both methods and ' guidelines
whereby the quality of the product can be
improved, tobacco used more efficiently,
greater control exercised over the packaged
product and cost reductions realised.
g) The remaining Aims were endorsed without modification.
12. There was a discussion of the revised position for patents
which would follow if Millbank recommendations under
item 11 were accepted. The proposals were welcomed by
all.
SJG: NW
CC)
BATCo document for Province of British Columbia 19 April 1999