Surgeon General'S Report

Anne Landman's Collection

Surgeon General'S Report

Date: 29 Jan 1964
Length: 3 pages
1005038559-8561
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Abstract

George Weissman, President of the Philip Morris Tobacco Company (PM), sent this 3-page confidential memo to Joseph Cullman III (PM's Chair and Chief Executive Officer) on January 29, 1964, barely three weeks after the first U.S. Surgeon General issued the first Report on Smoking and Health to the public on January 11, 1964. The 1964 report was America's first widely publicized official recognition that cigarette smoking causes cancer and other serious diseases. This memo reveals PM's internal reaction to the report.

Weissman refers to the Surgeon General's Report as a "propaganda blast" and launches into a list of ideas about how the industry can counteract it. He suggests that the industry "take the initiative in securing a mild federal labeling act to thwart the efforts of the various states" to require health warning labels on cigarettes.

Weissman also suggests the industry work clandestinely to make fun of the Surgeon General's health concerns, saying

"While it should not be done in the industry's name, someone ought to be contacting all the cartoonists, television gag writers, satirical reviews, etc., to apply the light touch to this question..."

As if this wasn't enough, though, Wiessman suggested the industry's next move, which turned out in all deadly seriousness to be the tobacco company's chosen direction for decades:

"...[W]e must in the near future provide some answers which will give smokers a psychological crutch and a self-rationale to continue smoking..."

Fields

Notes

Thanks to paralegal Ray Goldstein of San Francisco, California for this document find.

Quotes

RE: Surgeon General's Report

REACTION

While the propaganda blast was tremendous and the penetration of public opinion very widespread, I have the feeling that the public _reaction_ was not as severe nor did it have the emotional depth I might have feared. Certainly, so far it is not of a nature that caused the prohibitionists to go out with axes and smash saloons nor even of the more recent shock and reaction to the thalidomide scandal.

...Obviously this reaction is still be studied and observed, but it leads me to the belief that we can perhaps proceed slower than I might have anticipated a month ago in having the tobacco industry take the initiative in certain areas.

II. PUBLIC RELATIONS PROGRAM

A. The restraint and unity of the industry has been very effective in this period. The opponents have had their inning...

However at some point, reflecting the same seriousness with which we met the Report, we must in the near future provide some answers which will give smokers a psychological crutch and a self-rationale to continue smoking...

Humor and Satire. While it should not be done in the industry's name, someone ought to be contacting all the cartoonists, television gag writers, satirical reviews, etc., to apply the light touch to this question...

LABELING ACTION

In view of the reactions so far to the Surgeon General's Report, I am reversing my previous position that it might be wise for the industry to take the initiative in securing a mild federal labeling act to thwart the efforts of the various states. Perhaps we will have to ultimately make the concession, but in England they have been able to hold it off...If we are forced into one, every effort should be made to counterpose the health caution with the statement that the Surgeon General also recognizes significant beneficial effects of smoking primarily in the area of mental health.

If possible, the state legislatures could be held off on the basis that this is a federal matter and the federal can be the subject of many hearings.

Company

Philip Morris

Author

Weissman, George (PM Chairman & CEO '79-84)

Vice President of Philip Morris from 1954 to 1956. Vice President and Assistant to the President in 1957. Vice President of Marketing from 1958-59. Executive Vice President of Marketing in 1960. Exec. VP Overseas in 1961, Exec. VP PM International 1962-66. President from 1967 to 1972. President and Chief Operating Officer in 1973. Vice Chairman from 1974-78. Chair and CEO from '79-84 and on the Board of Directors from 1959-84. "Mastermind" of Philip Morris' direction.

Recipient

Cullman, Joseph Frederick III (PM President & CEO (1957-1970))

Executive vice president and senior marketing executive of Philip Morris in the 1950s. Exec. VP 1955-57. President in 1958, held that position until 1967. Chairman from 1968-1972 and acquired title of CEO. Chairman of the Executive Committee, 1979-85. On the Board of Directors from 1954-1985.

Region

United States

Named Organization

SGC, Surgeon General's (Advisory) Committee

Litigation

FLAG/Trial Exhibit P-1932

FLAG/Trial Exhibit P-7104

MORM/Trial Exhibit

STMN/Produced

STMN/Trial Exhibit P-18080

STMN/Trial Exhibit P-2657

TXAG/Trial Exhibit P-1932

TXAG/Trial Exhibit P-7104

Named Person

Franzen

Hockett, Robert Casad, Ph.D. (CTR Scientific Director)

Little, Clarence Cook, Sc.D. (CTR Scientific Director, 1954-1971)

Surgeon General

Type

Memorandum

Outline

Subject

health effects

health policy

smoking benefits (benefits to smoking as a subject for research)

research linking smoking to improving symptoms of Parkinson's and Alzheimers

Smoker reassurance

Psychological tools the industry used to help smokers keep smoking despite health fears

Surgeon General

Countermeasures

Strategies & tactics the industry used to counter public health efforts to control tobacco

Document Images

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.. ,. . ,. _ . ,.., . ~ .. .. , _ prtss coaferenc be called (if ossibl. n e oa aa equal time basis with the Surgeon General In the State Departraeut auditorium) in tthich ,,,,Perhaps Clarence Cook Little and the various Industry research `` directors and scientists and Dr. Hockett and Dr. Pranzen, etc., would ~%get up and take the fol2oving +spproach: !We have studied the Surgeon Gensral~s Report which is'an e,icalleat ::>,caoprehensive analysis of previous statistical studies.: Nhen it was ;;':released the Surgeon General noted that more research was Aacessary,. ; and after analysis of the Report vrs find these are some of the areas 4an which the research is 'wecessaryt ~ r all~ lfr,.. ^ ~.d..Ya~ , ~:~y( Page 35b of the Burgeon CeAeral~s geport rraognisea significaat .beneficial'results of smoking primarily In the area of mental health, but goes on to say there are no means of quantitating theae benefits and that the Cmnittee had no means of weighing the benefits versus the ha:ards.-Ln these times when percentage of our population may be effected by matters of :' mental health, we think the imperative factor is that further : research be done In these areas. . . Cn page,; the death rates for smokers are equal to or lower 'thaa the general white male death rate In the United States. - Obviously this.ts an area of research. 1"ilters, etc. 1'hs technical analysts will obviously havehindreds more iteas '',like this indicating research possibilities, contradictions, .discrepancies, etc. Zhe main thing I want to emphasize is the approach should-be that this fine Surgeon General's Report opens A up all these.paths to further research. Y J-1:' N ..~ ~~~r ..= ~ ..,. .. . . . , .. . ... ~ .. . .:. . .. . ... .....' J~i . :8umvor and satire. tihile it should not be done In the iadustry's asme, E someone ought to be contacting all the cartoonists, television gag K; a~riters; setirical raviews, etc., to apply the light touch to this tion. ~ 1^ .The most potent political force In America are the media and they vill 'be most directly concerned with this battle. To the extent possible, .they should carry a good deal of the bail. ~ . 3II. hHEr.Ixc ACriox, ,.. - `In view of the reactions so far to the Surgeon General's Report, I as seversiag my previous position that it might be wise for the industry to take the initiative In securing a mild federal labeling act to thwart the efforts of the various states. Perhaps we will have to ultimately make the cocecession, but In England they have been able to hold it off. January 39, 1964

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d , Joseph t . Cillman 3rd cc. Mr. P. D. Smith lir. J. C. Bovliag 2 ® 0 WeisSmaa J- Januarp 29, 1964 !w, 1

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