Tobacco Products Liability Project
Company Statement - Cigarettes and Health
Abstract
Discusses need for Brown and Williamson to create a policy statement on the effect of cigarettes on health. Expresses wish to avoid a "yes but" posture and should aim to respond to consumers, not scientific reports. States that B&W health research is dictated by "consumer considerations". Suggests that company statement should be that smoking is "okay for strong, healthy people, maybe not for illness prone people (nobody likes to think of himself as weak)".
User-Contributed Notes
- Smoking and Health Tobacco Industry--internal positions Product liability Medical and Biological Research
Fields
- Notes
Statement of consideration in the wording of policy statement on cigarettes and health (document 282001857).
- Type
- Explanatory Memo for Company Statement on Cigarettes and Health
- Named Person
- JNR
- Named Organization
- Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation (B&W)Subsidiary of BAT U.S., located in Louisville, KY.
- Author (Organization)
- Brown & Williamson Industries (Cigarette manufacturer)Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation became Brown & Brown & Williamson Industries in 1974 (L. White, Merchants 1988). B&W brands include: Cool, Viceroy, Raleigh, Barclay, Belaire, Copre, Fact, Richland and GPC, 1976.
- Author
- Pebbles, Ernie
- Date Loaded
- 08 Jan 2003
- Recipient
- JNR; DB
Document Images
~, ' ~une 8. 1967
: lip + j
l'Yom
Company State.cut - Clmarettes and Health
The attached filet d~aft of my statement in response to JNR's
note of 5/12/67 /m based on s~e bias mhlch ~ ~uld l~ke to
set out here.
:: who have becone 111 would have done so whether they smoked
",., • ': " Or not. -.
. ." .... .. :-2".. .";"..,:~ ...'" ..
..,...
..... the "y.. " " .....
.... "--- To avoid but" policy 8~ould reflect and
~J ! see it, the need for a policy statement on ctprettes and
health stems from the findings of researchers, accepted by the
Zovernaent as ~vtn8 health =t~tc~ce, that a larKe~ n~be~
• s~k~s t~n up with ea~, etc., than do non-smears.
tobacco t~try's anger, I'n afraid, basically ta~= a
• " but" tone. Yes, but thee is no scientific evidence of ~uualtty
• ,~tveen cl~rette smoktnZ and any dtge~e. • "
resultlng In charges a~1~t ci~rette~ ue based on
• and unsc~nti~Ic ~thods. Thee 18 a~o a denial - vhlch
hollers flies ~ the face of co,on und~ntandin~ ot ~di~l
history and study - that anlaal ox~rluent8 are u~ellablo
pr~t of t~ effects of tobacco on hu~n ~Inls.
~o public is not such ~rsuaded by loud p~otestatlOna a~ut
causal~ty. It sounds llke the ~nd~try In desperation
at~p~g to u8e an ~Istotellan supertech~Icallty.
~usallty I~ a valid. ~nt, but It suet ~ sluply atat~:
• 'It appears on res~t~l~ t~th~ity ~hat"those fee's~kers
l" I " respond to consumers, not to the p~eudo scientLfic reports. It
• " must not be couched in terms of "piny it mate." That ~ould mako~
i It appear that the Coms~ny has doubts about the outcome of the
' search tot hazardous elements in cigarettes. Xn truth, consuae~¢~
"preference has dlotatod filters and additives, and if th~ peril
~Ul~'m come's back so w411 plaln end clguettes.
As an underlylng theuo for the statement, I have chosen the
following. 8moklnK Is okay for 8t~onK, ~althy ~oplo, ~ybo
not tot illness prone ~ople (~dy lfbs to think o~ h~olt
as weak). It oee~ to me that B&W ~y ~.cedo anyone, a~ed bF
his phage/an not ~ 8~ke, ~ncedo him as.a custo~r and as
.
"..
, ,. ,..~:.." ....
., - .... ; . .~ .. .
282001 855
Subject to Claims of Privilege and Confidentiality:
Produced Pursuant to Court Orders in State of Minnesota, et al. v. Philip Morris, et al.

~uch a policy statement will h~ve no adverse effect on Company
position in the event of cancer litl~tion. In fact, the
since the '~'m. coupled with t~ ~rning which nov spears on
t~ ~c~se ~ides s strong defense. ~uses of action b~ed
on ne~lisence or ~rranties are susceptible to t~ defense of
contribu~ry ~sli~nce or assumption of risk. Also, 8~W
health research, albeit dictated by cons~er considerations,
ts ~lpful on the q~stton of due care in t~ ~nufscture ot
tobacco products.
282001856
Subject t~"~i~im~ 0fPrivilege and Confidentiality:
Produced Pursuant to Court Orders in State of Minnesota, et al. v. Philip Morris, et al.
