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Annotations of documents gleaned from the British American Tobacco Company (BATCO) and BAT Industries documents at the Minnesota Tobacco Industry Document Depository. There are twenty-six boxes, (18 from BATCO, and 8 from BAT Industries (mainly financial statements, which should be of interest to those tracking industry structure). The material in Minnesota represent about ten percent of a larger cache in Guildford, England, also now open to the public. The box numbers here refer only to this Minnesota Select Set but the Bates numbers should be equivalent.

1. Briefing by Claudio Figueiredo of John Daghlian (BATUKE), 17 February 1992, BAT (File no. FJ2159) 301637028 - 029.

   (Promotional campaign for BATUKE’s USA operation targeted to Asian Americans, exchanging UPC labels for gifts. Apparently Los Angeles dealers have been selling contraband at lower cost.)

2. Competitive Activity Report, Kate Holroyd and Paul Bingham, 2 February 1994, "How Marlboro led the pack," BAT (File no. FJ2814) 301724399 - 423.

   (Marketing competence for the long term, packaging, ammonia technology, line extensions to light brands, advertising (at least 405 million British pounds in 1992), cowboy image, focus on younger men smokers -- "18-24" -- premium pricing are all given as reasons. Regional analyses are given.)

   Notable quotes: "Marlboro is the most successful brand in the history of consumer marketing, more so even than Coca Cola." "PM spares no expense on improving and motivating their people." "Recent [sic!] B&W studies seem to indicate that ammonia technology and its effects

   are the ‘secret’ pf Marlboro, giving it its unique taste and character.... In spite of enourmous investment by BAT, we have found it difficult to match or outperform the Marlboro product and even where we have matched it, preference is difficult to achieve." "Health warning – clever positioning and use of colour (discreet gold) have ensured minimum impact on the overall design and minimum legibility to the smoker."

3. Letter and analysis, Susan Stuntz (Tobacco Institute) to Thomas Griscom (VP RJR), BAT (File no. FK0006) 300512193 - 195.

   (Northwest Airlines did financially much worse after smoking ban on US domestic flights. Of course, they’re doing much better now, thank you.)

4. Comment on a book, "The Big Kill. The Human Cost of Smoking in New Zealand," Peter N. Lee to Sharon Boyse, 7 July 1988, BAT (File no. FK0009) 300539149 - 169.

   (After picking apart some of the statistical details of relative risk, Lee concludes the figures are not so far off, and Sharon Boyse agrees; although there is cost-savings by smokers dying sooner.)

   Notable quotes: "Overall, it can be seen that the Big Kill estimate of 4,920 deaths each year from smoking can only be seriously attacked if one can demonstrate that smoking is not a major contributor to lung cnacer, peripheral vascular disase and chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Given, as it is generally accepted, that smoking is a major contributor here, one would be pressed to come up with a scientific argument that the figure would be substantially less than 3,000 – and the figure of 4,920 per year might even be an underestimate." To Sharon Boyse: "At the end of the day, I don’t see that the Industry can do much on this. To say smoking does not kill 5,000 a year, it only kills 3,000, is not really on and no-one (me included) believes statements that it is harmless."

5. List of consultants and payments to them in 1992 and budgeted for 1993, from Ray E. Thornton (smoking and health adviser) to Barry Bramley (CEO), "SRG Consultants," BAT (File no. FK0039) 300528442 - 443, and300528470 - 471.

   (SRG – Scientific Research Group – funded by the Chairman’s Advisory Committee, CAC, and BAT. CAC was a risk-pool agreement between B&W and BAT to fund research, see Stanton Glantz, et al., The Cigarette Papers (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996), pp. 282-84.

   SRG invested 294 thousand pounds UK, BAT 123 thousand in 1992, a total budget for 1993 was 525 thousand. Consultant researchers were: J. Idle, J. Clausen, V.J. Knott, G. Currie, A. Springall, D.N. Cooper, Prof. Syrjanen, P.N. Lee, M. Smith, P. Farmer, J. Gray, F.J.C. Roe, J. Parry, S. Wonnacott, A.R. Feinstein, Ulrich Mohr.)

6. Outline for Presentation to BAT Industries Board, R.E. Thornton, 26 February 1991, "Smoking and Health Issues," BAT (File no. FK0039) 300525765 - 768.

   (The Board hears Thornton return to older ideas, that lung cancers are caused by genetic susceptibility and viruses.)

   Notable quote: "...tending to alter the balance of importance away from environmental chemicals and towards the individual via his genetic make-up."

7. Hand-written revisions by Ray Thornton of a paper to be given by Ke Qian, Engineer China National Tobacco Corporation at the Tobacco Exposition Conference in Winston Salem, May 1989, "Preliminary study of new blending cigarettes. A survey and analysis of infra-red thermography on human body," BAT (File no. FK0039) 300525820 - 826.

   (John Payne, passing on messages from Jim Morris and Norman Davis, asks Thornton to repair the wording of some of the statements. The paper shows by thermography that Chinese herbal cigarettes raise skin temperature, regular cigarettes lower it by constriction of blood vessels.)

   Notable quotes (original in italics, hand-corrections in standard, cross outs in brackets): "Smoking is a pleasurable habit of our life, [and it has certain harmful effects to the human body] but it has been averred by some to be associated with certain diseases. In the last two decades, tobacco industries have paid more attention to the manufacturing of [safety] lower tar cigarettes to satisfy consumer [?]." "[It is true that Co, nicotine and cadmium etc. are really harmful to the cardiac blood vessels.]" " Chinese herbs contained cigarettes bear the function of increasing the skin perfusion volume of blood flow. [Besides remitting and reducing the injury of smoke to the heart and blood vessels...]"

8. Memo from Sharon Boyse to Judith Hatton of FOREST, 13 May 1993, "Death Certificates," BAT (File no. FK0214) 300537064.

   (While death certificates might in a biased fashion overly diagnose lung cancer in smokers – A. E. Feinstein – "all it can do is suggest that the association with smoking and lung cancer may be smaller than estimated, not that it does not exist at all.")

9. Report to German Association of the Cigarette Industry (Verband) Board by Dr. Bruckner on the 6^th International Conference on Smoking, 17 November 1987, BAT (File no. FK0240) 300551991 - 995.

   (He sees the threat possibly coming true of a tobacco-free society by the year 2000. Only a truly safe cigarette could stop the politicians from enacting such a law.)

10. Summary of the Research Conference, Rio de Janeiro, 22-26 August 1983, "BAT (File no. G1392) 102231078 - 101.

    (Covered extensively in Glantz, et al., Cigarette Papers, pp. 94-95, 278-81, 406-7, 88-89 – on nicotine, compensation, sidestream smoke, etc.)

11. Report on a first joint Marketing and R&D Conference, Marlow, England, A.M. Heath, tp A.L. Heard, 9 October 1984, BAT (File no. G1443) 102371934 - 945, and hand-written notes 102371953 - 954.

    (Multi-country BAT representatives - UK, Australia, USA, Canada, Germany, Brazil. By cou9ntry, delegates considered "brand reassurance," i.e., maintaining the image, satisfaction, price, "personal [health] reassurance," less irritating sidestream, and growing importance of female market. The hand-written notes are important for what the typed report omitted.)

    Notable quotes from hand-written notes, author unknown: "Smoking pleasure and satisfaction. Higher free base nicotine content." "Company specific Increased body/mouth full (using flavor) Modified menthol (mouth sensation effect) -- (Indonesia) Increased salivation (Canada). Unusual flavours (Brazil) Unusual tobacco types (Germany)."

12. "Structured Creativity Group Presentation, D.E. Creighton, 1980s, BAT (File no. G2108)

    102690336 - 350.

    (Brainstorming over future of tobacco industry. More pressures against tobacco, static sales, slow growth of "low delivery" products despite much promotion, go for full flavor cigarette sales, pay more attention to pack design as the main method of product communication with restrictions on advertising.)

    Notable quotes: "We therefore have to compete to increase our market share using every trick that we know." "Competition with Cannabis, glue sniffing and possibly hard drugs – heroin and cocaine. We must find a way to appeal to the young who want to protest so that the product image, and the product will satisfy this part of the market." [NB. Glue-sniffing clearly an adolescent, even pre-adolescent practice; "appeal[ing] to the young" in this context would suggest marketing to under 18s.] "High on the list of consumer needs is nicotine, which I believe to be the main motivator and sustainer of smoking behavior."

13. Exchange of memos between various staff, February to April 1983, "Medical Examination," BAT (File no. G83) 100440565 - 567.

    (Concern expressed by employees working with nitrosamines, asking for medical examination, clinical and biochemical.)

14. Design report, G. O. Brooks, March 1982, "Cigarette designs giving reduced carbon monoxide in smoke," BAT (File no. G843) 102194549 - 569.

    ("Project LOCO" based on ventilated low pressure drop filter.)

15. Market analysis, no author, April 1982, "Conference on marketing low delivery products,"

    BAT (File no. G928) 102213836 - 849.

    (Why Barclay succeeded.. An "ultra-low" brand offering a male-model "warm" image; a good-taste theme of "the pleasure is back" probably reflecting quick nicotine delivery to the throat; the Actron filter, expanded tobacco, strong all-lamina blend, promising just 1 mg tar or "99% tar-free"; "buy-one-get-one-free" launch. Philip Morris and RJR sued, alleging the construction fooled the FTC smoking machine -- a triumph of compensation by blockage of ventilation holes.)

16. Minutes of marketing meeting, M.J. Hardwick (research and development), 2 May 1985, "Barclay Plus," BAT (File no. G999) 102943790 - 796.

    (Discussion of different legal smoke testing standards in different countries, need to increase tar in the Barclay stemming from the litigation by competitors, discussion of designing a cigarette with five mg tar when ventilation holes blocked or 1-3 when unblocked.)

17. Miscellaneous collection of documents on "addiction" and nicotine circa 1987, BAT (File no. H1) 107345619 - 688.

    (Collection seems of one piece, possibly initiated by Sharon Boyse who on 2 March 1987 wrote to Dr. Sandra File of the Department of Pharmacology, University of London - Boyse’s degree from there - stating, "I’m currently trying to tackle the rather thorny question of whether nicotine is ‘addictive’." Collection has unsigned opinion papers, statements about nicotine and tobacco attributed to various experts from the 1970s and early 80s, correspondence on the 1984 Canadian Department of Commerce and Consumer Relations complaint against Rothmans for failing to not state that tobacco is highly addictive, among other items. One detailed analysis, "Smoking, Nicotine and Addiction," makes a very good case that nicotine meets virtually all the attributes of addiction: dependence, tolerance, withdrawal, craving, relapse after quitting, continued use even after ill health. But then the paper backs away, mentioning the number of smokers who have quit, or the smokers who can take it or leave it, smoking only socially (in this ignoring the undoubted use of heroin and cocaine in the same way). The writer wants to compare nicotine, then, to caffeine. With internal "scientific" materials such as this, tobacco industry CEOs could swear in Congress without fear of prosecution for perjury, "I do not believe nicotine is addictive.")

18. Draft copy, hand-edited hand and extensively redacted, of a comprehensive review of research, heavily redacted and many pages missing, R.E. Thornton, "Fifth Review of Activities 1974-1984" of the Tobacco Advisory Council, June 1984, BAT (File no. H105) 107317775 - 793, also 107317930 - 951.

    (Four comprehensive reviews of the Tobacco Research Council’s direct or funded researches from 1954 to 1974 preceded this decade-review under the aegis of the multi-company TAC thath took TRC’s place in 1978. TRC/TAC and direct company-funded research resulted in 650 research papers, costin 600 million British pounds. The only substantive item open for view was a mention of a 1970s work showing that carbon monoxide caused atherosclerosis in White Carneau pigeons on a high fat diet. Following the printed Review is a TAC Research Committee analysis of its research strategy, to be non-competitive and acceptable to all the Member companies, "and should benefit the Industry as a whole.)

    Notable quotes: From the TAC Research Committee: "The following topics are suggested for further discussion.... Research on the question of passive smoking [through] epidemiology. Research showing the benefits of smoking.... Research aimed at discounting or putting into perspective certain alleged biological effects of smoking." "The main reason for supporting worthwhile research is, presumably, positive PR: the Industry should be seen to be taking an objective and responsible approach to the issues, contributing towards the fund of knowledge, etc."

    From a 13 March 1984 "TAC Research Strategy, R.E. Thornton comments on the above TAC Research Committee analysis: " ‘Positive PR is a fall-out and should only be an unwritten secondary objective." "See little further mileage in ‘benefits of smoking’ nor at research aimed at ‘discounting’ certain alleged biological effects of smoke (who wrote this?).... Passive smoking clearly merits further work.... Agree that projects ‘crucial to the medium and longer-term stability of the industry’ should be the basis for proceeding."