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Decemlicr 15, 1970
NOTES ON VISIT TO DR. W.F. FOPBES, PROFESSOR OF STATISTICS
,,,,D C,,Ir.@Ilcr,
pull A. @&.Zy, UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO. WATERLOO, ONT.
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Having hcard that Dr. Forbes had set tin a research programme
in the firld of Smoking and Ileallth, Mr. R.S. Wade, Imperial
Tobacco Products Limited, arranged a -meeting with Dr. Forbes
fnr Nlnndav. December 7. and wh-@n Mr. Wade advised me of his
plans I took advantage of the opportunity to join him. We
had a very pleasant meeting and an interesting discussion
with Dr. Fort;-s, and also met some members of his staff; i.e.,
Drs. N.H. Cherry, J.C. Robinson, and Richert.
Dr. Forbes has initiated the following research projects:
TWIN STUDY
This st:jdy is along similar lines to the Twin Study being
carried ou.t by Dr. Fribeuztind Dr. Cederlof, in Sweden.
In this project Dr. Forbes intends@sing 300 pairs of
monozygr3tic (identical) twins drawn from the Kitchener-
Waterloo area, and they wili ail be personally Interviewed
as to their smoking habits and other pertinent factors.
All follow-ups of these individuals will also be by personal
interview and it can be expected that this project will
cover quite a number of vexrs. From the viewpoint of the
Industry, thig should be x very Interesting study,
particularly if Dr. Forbes' findings corroborate those so C:)
far rpported by Drs. Friberg and Cederlaf.
-,V R.
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NICOTINE STUDY
The view ha5 frequently been expressed in scientific circles
that the masE sienificant reason people smoke is for the
nicotine. : @l there is some evidence which indicates
that peuple tend to adjust the w*y they smoke to reflect their
nicotine re au ire ment s. If this view is correct, then
establishin; how pe-,rle smnt^ and whether they change their
smoking pattern with a modified cigarette is, from the Industry's
viewpoint, most i-1--rtant. Dr. Forbes is pursuing this line of
thought by givirg, individuals commercial cigarettes of known and
different nicotine deliveries and checking the nicotine level to
which the individual is exposed by determining the nicotine
content in the butts.
In connection with the foregoing, we mentioned to Dr. Forbes
that tar and nicotine should not be -referred to in the same
context as if they had the same physiological effect; in other
words, there is a need to dissociate the two. Incidentally,
these views are of significance in the context of published
tar and nicotine -tab les.
AROMATIC POLYCYCLTC IfYDROCARDONS
The connective tissue In the lung is composer largely of collagen.
Dr. Forbes has not been able to find benzpyrene or other aromatic
polycyclic hydrocarbons in the lung and he is therefore interested
in trying to find out who happens to these hydrocarbons. In
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this work h-- is tizinF.- bf!nzpvrene and co 1 lagen to determine
whether the benzrvrene react% with the cc'. la gen in any way,
and also whether it prop-coes chan ,ma- a Ile! to those that
take place with awing-, i.e. , connective tissue tends to
become more brittle with age.
The funds for Vie foregoing projects are basically from the
University. with .0 "bly a little from the Federal Department
of National Health and Welfare.
Dr. Forbes brought up the subject of the tobacco industry.
the Government and the universities working together in the
field of Smoking
and Health.,/ tie sa it] he was all in favour
of this and has mentioned it to Dr. Colburn a number of times.
We told Dr. Forbes that the Industry was also interested in
this approach and that we have repeatedly mentioned this to
the Department of National Health and Welfare from the
Minister down. Dr. Forbes said that he would again write
to Dr. Colburn along these lines.
L. C. Uporte
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BATCo document for Province of British Columbia 20 April 1999