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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.

BOX 9

1. Product Development Review, D.E. Creighton, June 1988, "The significance of pH in Tobacco and Tobacco Smoke," BAT (File no. BF 1651) 500104404 - 422.

   (Technical summary. pH values in solutions from tobacco are on the acid side.)

   Notable quotes: "At a pH of 5.6 very little free base nicotine is present and very little would be absorbed through the mouth linings but at pH 8 about 60% of the nicotine would be in the free base form and would be rapidly absorbed through the oral mucosa.... It is thus clear that products that are not designed to be inhaled such as cigar smoke, pipe smoke and wet snuffs must have a pH that is alkaline, so that the free base nicotine may be absorbed in the mouth."

   "Pharmacologic satisfaction in smoking is related to nicotine absorption then the differences between cigar smoking by puffing and cigarette smoking by puffing and inhaling are due to the amount of nicotine in the smoke and the speed of uptake into the blood stream." "Sidestream smoke is more alkaline than mainstream smoke -- this is due to ammonia which is, relatively, about 200 times greater than in mainstream smoke."

2. Document for telephone operators and Corporate Affairs manager, "Consumer Helplines. How to handle questions on smoking and health and product issues," no date, BAT (File no. BF 2273) 500172935 - 954.

   (Distinguishes calls from "Type A" persons with questions indicating high awareness of smoking and health issues, and "Type B", the opposite. Answers to provocative Type A questions are framed very carefully and smoothly.)

3. Issue booklets, "Smoking. The Scientific Controversy," and "Cigarette Advertising. The Facts," approximately 1990, BAT (File no. BF2362) 500180489 - 503, and 500180524 - 543.

   (Intended audience appears to be well-educated. In the first, near-total denial that smoking was in anyway responsible for lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema or bronchitis. In the second, total denial that advertising bans would affect tobacco consumption by adults or young people. Advertising for brand-switching only.)

4. Hugh Bain Research, "The Psychology of Significant Moments and Peak Experiences in Cigarette Smoking. The Motivations and Semiological Significance of Smoking," November 1993, BAT (File no. BF2460) 500287512 - 596.

   (Study of why people smoke, "a more sophisticated understanding of the repertoire of consumer benefits which can meaningfully be attached to cigarette smoking in advertising for BAT brands." If it isn't addiction, the BAT brief said, what is it? Focus group studies of smokers 18-45. Study finds twenty six "significant moments" and "peak experiences" -- social, physiological, emotional -- associated with cigarettes. A long section details why adolescents begin smoking -- "initiation rites, rebellion, peer group pressure, simulation of adulthood, but also movie stars who smoke. Adults now find it less and less acceptable, even less pleasurable, heavy smokers recognize the sometimes desperate need.)

   Notable quotes: "Because nicotine is such a powerful reinforcer, other stimuli closely associated with its presence will 'borrow' its motivating properties." "An important aspect of the semiology of smoking is what might be termed the 'iconography' of smoking behaviour, which the entertainment media, and particularly movies, have been instrumental in creating and disseminating. The iconography of smoking is important because of what it represents in terms of the signals or messages that smokers wish to communicate about themselves...." "The clusters of visual stimuli illustrate the major roles that cigarettes play for various subgroups of smokers and include references to the diverse factors which motivate brand choices (e.g. the 'mach' or 'adventurous' appeal of certain brands of cigarettes to young men today; the 'glamour' and 'elegance' that used to be associated with smoking by women in the past, compared with the more earthy 'sexiness' and 'machisma' that smoking represents for young women today; the 'status implications' of cigarettes for older men and women, etc."

   "Smoking for regular smokers is therefore 'habitual' and it is not surprising therefore that the majority of the cigarettes people smoke are not particularly memorable."

5. "Arguing British-American Tobacco's Case. What are you going to say?" David Bacon, no date, BAT (File no. BJ0560) 503921535 - 547.

   (Standard talking points on smoking issues.)

6. "Smoking Issues Department," plan to inform the GM on how issues can impact business,

   27 July 1994, BAT (File no. BK0325) 500895829 - 834.

   (Areas for discussion on "The Smoking and Health Controversy... Environmental Tobacco Smoke...Operating Company Actions on Smoking Issues." Note mention of both the Far East ETS consultants programme and the Latin American consultancy programme.)

7. Report, F.J.C. Roe, 10 March 1994, "International Congress on smoking Cessation, Glasgow," BAT (File no. BK0328) 500892912 - 932.

   Notable quotes: "Sir Richard Doll...specifically praised the stance taken by Geoffrey Todd and the fact that the Industry, while continuing to sell tobacco, would not seek to deny the association found by epidemiologists. He also said that in the UK the Industry had consistently supported efforts to prohibit the sale of tobacco to children." "Ernst Wynder...[said] it is much more important to try stop young people from taking up smoking that to try tp persuade them to stop after they have taken it up." "David Simpson...made a typical vitriolic attack on the Tobacco Industry worldwide.... He claimed that some internationally operating companies, which he named, had deliberately targeted their advertising to recruit children, especially girls, and were investing heavily in popularising cigarette smoking in developing countries." "Richard Peto...gave an ill-prepared paper aimed at predicting numbers of smoking-associated deaths world-wide during the first quarter of the next century.

   (Commenting on Martin Jarvis's presentation suggesting that smokers born in 1958 end ed with higher "malaise" scores than non-smokers or quitters - Roe still thinks genetic predisposition to smoking may be linked to predisposition to malaise. [NB. Does this imply cigarette companies try to hook "genetic misfits?"] Roe takes seriously the charges made by Simpson as they seem to have been echoed by the "scientists" -- Doll, Peto, Wynder, Benowitz.)

8. Draft position paper, unsigned, 29 May 1995, "India. The Economics of Tobacco Use," BAT (file no. BK0507) 500869581 - 588.

   Notable quotes: "The Indian Council of Medical Research have themselves warned that 'computation of economics of tobacco is a difficult arena...." "There is usually no mention of any benefits from smoking." "An individual's private costs are more than offset by the benefits which smokers obtain from smoking." "Medical treatment or loss of wages for whatever reason.... are not social costs and as such have no place in an economic cost/benefit analysis designed as a basis for future public policy." "Many economic analyses have attempted to attribute certain medical costs to tobacco. This relies on the assumption that tobacco is the cause of any excess mortality comorbidity seen in smokers. There are many epidemiological studies which report a statistical association between smoking and certain disease. However, the most important restriction of epidemiology is that it cannot establish cause and effect." "The term 'risk factor' has been defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as 'commonly used to describe factors that are positively associated with the risk of development of a disease but that are not sufficient to cause the disease [reference: R. Beaglehole, et al. Basic Epidemiology, WHO, Geneva, 1993]. Having a driving license is a risk marker for car accidents.... however, possessing a driving license does not of itself cause the accident." "The biological mechanisms of these diseases [lung cancer, heart disease] are not understood." "Smokers consume a greater amount of saturated fats, total fat and sucrose than non-smokers." "Smokers are , on average, more likely to be less educated, have a lower income, have a riskier occupation, drink more alcohol and are less likely to take enough exercise. In the UK, many smokers tend to be in lower socioeconomic classes." [NB. Does this suggest that BATCO targets poor people?.] "A smoker who dies of lung cancer typically will do so more quickly and a younger age than a nonsmoker with fine lungs who comes down with Alzheimer's disease." "Smokers, due to their shorter life expectancies, tend to have lower medical costs for conditions unrelated to smoking. A decrease on cigarette sales might be accompanied not only by a decrease in smoking-related medical costs, but also by an increase in other medical costs brought about by longer life expectancies." "Smokers tend to be in lower paying jobs.... everyone in lower paying non managerial jobs tend to miss more work, whether or not they smoke.... [In one study] "....among the professional workers they studied, the smoking workers tended to be more productive than the non-smoking workers." [NB. Another example of deceptive use and interpretation of studies: The study was reported in the Minneapolis Star and Tribune October 23, 1984, 1A, col. 1 and 6A, col. 1-2. White collar managers were asked to rate themselves on time management and effectiveness. A series of attributes were then measured (sleep, diet, exercise, alcohol, age, etc. ) and correlated with the self-reports. There were 337 non-smokers and 80 smokers. Smoking ranked well behind physical activity, diet, age as contributing to self-reported efficiency. One obvious conclusion is that smokers were simply relieving their stress of NON-smoking.]

9. Report of a workshop, unsigned, 14 June 1979, "Guidelines on communication restrictions and new opportunities in marketing," BAT (File no. C10) 100427839 - 852.

   (How to cope with ad bans. Advanced ideas for the time.)

   Notable quotes: "Adaptations of existing campaign themes developed for the electronic media to the static media and promotions should be undertaken at the earliest opportunity in anticipation of selective bans." "As advertising bans tend to fall unevenly on counties within regions, companies should explore the opportunities to co-operate one with another by beaming TV and radio advertising, for example into a 'ban' country." "More frequent calls on both wholesalers and retailers." "Special merchandising and retailer promotion schemes....introductory bonuses....point of sale activities....pack style and design....promotions and sponsorships....fostering goodwill....non-tobacco products, and other services which can be used to communicate the brand or house name."

   "It is of the utmost importance that the Industry as a whole should present a united front in negotiations with Governments." "Third parties, such as trade unions, advertising agencies, materials suppliers and groups sponsored by the companies are often willing to support the Industry's case.... Opportunities to establish and nurture friendly relations with media writers and presenters should be sought."

   10 Discussion Note, unsigned, probably mid to late-70s, "Smoking and Health," BAT (File no. BK0507) 100428583 - 599.

   (A planning exercise, incorporating a set of assumptions about how the issue of smoking and health will play out, and the policies and strategies needed to deal with the future. 28 assumptions, 17 policies and 26 strategies first listed in a hand-edited draft, then organized into topics on tables.)

   Notable quotes: From "Assumptions": "The association of smoking with various diseases will continue to be a major threat to the tobacco industry. There will be no sudden scientific solution in the forseeable future. It is unlikely that there will be a cigarette design solution..... Without inhalation smoking will present negligible health risks. Smoking will become an increasingly unacceptable social habit. On legal grounds alone it will continue to be to the industry's advantage not to make explicit health claims.... Passive smoking will become more important as an issue.... An inflexible industry attitude, resulting in challenging the validity of all the evidence against smoking, will create hostility and even contempt for the industry among intelligent and fair-minded doctors.... Smoking and pregnancy will become [from the table] more important as an issue."

   From "Policies": "Not to permit any new additives in any product unless the Additive Guidance Panel is satisfied that it is not harmful.... To discourage inhalable cigars.... Not to subscribe to industry attitudes which, through intransigence, are likely to provoke undesirable legislation.... To avoid creating hostility with medical authorities, for example by contesting the validity of evidence against smoking only when necessary to avoid damages in lawsuits and/or at scientific level in scientific literature."

10. Memo paper on smoking issues, L.C.F. Blackman to P. Sheehy, C.H. Stewart Lockhart,

    R.L.O. Ely, 22 May 1980, BAT (File no. C12)100429169 - 174.

    (Topic headings include "The Credibility of the Industry Stance," "Is the Safe Cigarette on the Way?"

    "Is Passive Smoking a Health Hazard?")

    Notable quotes: "By being able to acknowledge publicly that the industry: (1) is mindful of the balance between pleasure/benefit and risk of health (2) has for the past 20 years been using causation as a working hypothesis in guiding its research and development without being able overtly to accept causation (3) would welcome continued genuine debate with experts in the field it may be possible for it to regain or attain credibility in the eyes of both the public and Governments. Recommendation The pros and cons of a change in stance should be tested seriously and fully against the alternative of a continued rigid acceptance of the global constraint imposed by the US legal system. (To do this may well involve losing something in the short/medium term. By giving nothing, however, the industry may never acquire a working credibility -- and may lose far more in the end)." "There can be no doubt that the 'safer' cigarette is here now.... it may still not be accepted by the public, and certainly not possible for industry to prove, that cigarette smoking is wholly 'safe' -- any more than alcohol can ever be claimed to be wholly 'safe' -- but the primary health argument should have been reduced to a level compatible with successful continuity of the industry." "There is no justifiable health hazard for the passive smoker under normal conditions of ventilation or air-change (e.g. home, office, factory, public places)."

    From "Strategies": "Research into and development of new products is the key strategy to solving the smoking and health problem.... B-A.T.'s main research efforts aimed at safer cigarettes will concentrate on i. cigarettes of modified design ii. reconstitution of tobacco iii. Batflake iv. substitute materials.... To study the susceptible sub group hypothesis. To consider providing special cigarettes for special health cases.... B-A.T. will investigate and stimulate the development of alternatives to nicotine.... B-A.T. will accept that reduction of biological activity per cigarette is sufficient evidence of acceptability on health grounds as a basis for work on alternative smoking materials, both tobacco and non-tobacco.... Warning notices in advertising should be resisted as long as possible.... We should influence medical and Government opinion and get each group to accept some responsibility for helping to solve what is seen to be a major public health problem rather than putting all the onus on the industry."

11. Memo from D.G. Felton to S.J. Green, L.C.F. Blackman, 4 June 1979, "Meeting with Dr. r. Seligman (V.P. R&D) and Dr. T.S. Osdene (Director of Research) Philip Morris Research Center, Richmond, USA," BAT (File no. C12) 100429313 - 314.

    Notable quote: "They commented that, in their opinion, ICOSI was a 'conspiracy by Reynolds and Imperial to thwart BAT and Philip Morris' in their international operations. They clearly did not trust Colby or Jacob and said that the Verband staff (Konig and Adlkofer had found Jacob a trial. I said that I understood Jacob had advised ICOSI that there was danger in working on nicotine for a variety of reasons and that might have had repercussions for the Verband." "They said in strict confidence, that [Gio] Gori had been lobbying for the Industry to endow a chair at Cornell for the study of smoking and health with an initial endowment of $1 million, but that this had recently been turned down.

12. Letter from Michel Descoteaux to Robert M. Gibb, 26 February 1981, "Millbank Public Affairs Smoking and Health Handbook to Employees," BAT (File no. C18) 100430607 - 611.

    (Comments on eighth draft of handbook. Descoteaux appears to work for a law firm.)

    Notable quotes: "Instead of saying that 'the great majority of smokers do not die from lung cancer' I would suggest that they give some indication of what the great majority is, like 'more than 99% of smokers do not contract (or die from) lung cancer'." "I think reference should be made to the fact that carbon monoxide is naturally present in the human body whether one smokes or not.... It is produced by humans, animals and plants." "I am amazed that BAT would agree with the advice of doctors concerning pregnant women.... BAT's agreement could open the door to claims for warnings on cigarette packages, for example, and has very important implications in the passive smoking debate."

13. Proceedings of Biological Conference Southampton, 9-11 April 1984, BAT (File no. C189) 100453480 - 490.

    (Discussions on Project RIO -- the attempt to find smoking material less hazardous to health -- biological activity of nicotine, BAT needs in the future based on new epidemiological findings.)

    Notable quotes: "The increase in activity associated with filters, certain tobacco types and sheet materials should not be forgotten." "Ventilation brings about an increase in mutagenicity [in the Ames test]." "The eventual need for a long term bioassay, preferably based on inhalation, was considered.... No firm conclusions were reached." "The cocarcinogenic effect of nicotine is still unresolved, there being major problems in designing a study to clarify the situation." "The role of nicotine and cardiovascular disease was outlined, in particular the role of smoke in decreasing prostacyclin and increasing thromboxane levels.... Nicotine has shown to be chemotactic thus attracting neutrophils." [Effects would support possibility of nicotine as a clot-atheroma inducing agent.] "The of nicotine/smoke...is still closely associated with peripheral vascular disease and cerebrovascular disease." "Recent evidence points to a clear relationship between smoking and COLD [chronic obstructive lung disease]."

14. Proceedings Research Conference Montebello, Canada, 30 August-3rd September 1982, L.C.F. Blackman, BAT (File no. C198) 100448162 - 184.

    (Extensive review of this document may be found in Stanton A. Glantz, et al. The Cigarette Papers (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996) 91-92, 96-97, 401- 403; on passive smoking, "safe" cigarettes, and compensation.)

    Notable quotes: "The GR & DC programme on smoking behaviour...includes an investigation of the theory that there is market segmentation based on smoking behavioural characteristics; the Conference attached importance to probing the psychological basis of the segmentation, particularly relating to: (a) Delivery levels of quitters/re-starters and the possible overriding influence of cost. (b) Behavioural characteristics of lifetime smokers of low delivery products..."

    "The GR & DC programme is also exploring new concepts of consumer testing and smoking behaviour methods, including physiological/pharmacological approach, in the broad quest for identifying the design routes to enhance or maximise sensory and pharmacological sensations, ie to 'make the smoke work harder' so as to achieve maximum sensation at a given delivery level without encouraging the smoker to compensate." "There should be greater routine use of flexible or programmable smoking machines so that the puff by puff smoke chemistry of new product designs can be assessed against more realistic human smoking regimes than that given by the standard smoking machine." [NB. Something the industry continues to resist with respect to legal government testing.] "We should keep within BAT: i) animal results on sidestream activity 11) thoughts in the biological activity of sidestream iii) research findings on the consumer annoyance aspects of environmental smoke -- since these have potential commercial value." "Tobacco Breeding.... demonstrates a high level of innovation and scientific research on tobacco breeding (eg for high nicotine and enhanced flavour...." [NB. Harbinger of Y-1 research?] "Nitrosamines....the approach should be two-pronged, ie: (i) Understanding the routes by which nitrosamines in whole smoke are formed.... (ii) Selective removal of nitrosamines."

15. Proceedings and selected papers, Montreal international marketing conference, 1984, "Session IV, General Discussion (12th July), BAT (File no. C211) 100449278 - 329.

    (Discussions on the company's future and communications between divisions and companies with respect to smoking behavior and the tobacco product.)

    Notable quotes: "Since our future business depends on the size of this starter population set, it was considered important that we know why people start to smoke and this may be more important than why they continue to smoke. We must better understand short-term quitters.... Can we develop models of how smoking careers unfold?" "The role of nicotine as a motivating source was discussed." "Mr. [W.] Knox pointed out that in the longer term, an increasingly female profile of tailor-made smoking will have significant marketing implications." "In large part industry volume declines reflect the impact of dramatic increases in price." "The level of smokers' concern over the danger in smoking is high but has not been increasing in the past few years." "Although intentions and attempts to quit are relatively high (30-40% of smokers) the actual success rate of quitting is relatively low and stable." [NB. Tables and graph on BAT 100449295 - 297 for Canada shows 40-43% intent to quit, 39% attempts to quit, 3% quit within past year. Somewhat better in USA at 9% quit rate in past six months.] "Starting rates have declined. Mr. Knox pointed out that the failure to develop new smokers may have more detrimental impact on the industry in future than losses due to quitting." "Switching Rates. Mr. Knox defined this as a measure of the 'dynamism' of the market and the relevance of new brand introductions. Compared to a relatively 'typical' rate of 10% he pointed out that the rate remains 20-30% higher in most countries but is slightly lower than a few years ago." [NB. Oft- pleaded contention by industry that massive advertising and promotions are only to get smokers to switch in a "mature" market is gainsaid here, especially since most switching is from one company-brand to another; another reason for brand and brand-extension proliferation.]

    (G.A. Read presents an exquisitely detailed description with charts of all aspects of cigarette smoke inhalation. "Whole body dose. Nicotine essentially quantitatively retained puff-by-puff on inhalation - pulsed high concentration bolus of nicotine, additive puff-by-puff, per cigarette and averaged over the day." Graph shows stable level of cotinine and pulsed levels of nicotine over 24 hours, dropping off at night. Details the central nervous system uptake. "Strong indirect evidence of smokers smocking for nicotine... underlying smoking maintenance through nicotine, and as a consequence probably provides the basis of smoking satisfaction... in its simplest sense puffin behaviour is the means of providing nicotine dose in a metered fashion.... "Summary .... Identify the minimum dose requirement for nicotine." [NB. See also Glantz, Cigarette Papers, 96-97.]

16. Presentation by D.G. Felton, "Conference on Smoking and Health Issues, The Medico-Scientific Background," about 1980, BAT (File no. C211) 100449418 - 459.

    (A full appraisal of the issues in light of "increased pressures by anti-smoking forces for curtailment.")

    Notable quotes: "The statistical association of these diseases [lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic bronchitis, emphysema] with smoking cannot be disputed. What remains in doubt is the interpretation of the association." "Because of these legal aspects, anyone at all connected with the industry has had to be particularly circumspect in any discussion of smoking and health. Nothing can be said publicly and nothing can be held on company filed which could be construed in any way as an admission that smoking is a primary or contributory cause of disease. It is against these constraints that the differing approaches of the various national tobacco industries were evolved. When the problem broke upon the industry worldwide, there were two responses: -- 1)To strengthen and extend company R&D 2) To establish industry organisations such as the Tobacco Research Council in the U.K., C.T.R. in the U.S.A. and similar bodies in Canada and Germany. While, to some extent, these may have been, at first, public relations responses, they have been successful strategies in that they have led to the establishment of effective communication with government and medical authorities, based upon the recognition by them that the industry has behaved responsibly and with an open mind.... In the united States, the industry set up an advisory body of independent medical scientists to disburse a research fund, contributed by the manufacturers, to grantees approved by this scientific advisory board. Between 1954 and 1978, grants worth more than $51,900,000 have been awarded. A further large donation was made to the American Medical Association -- Education and Research Fund.... The public stance of the industry was that there was no proof of causation and that more research was needed.... In order to make any scientific progress at all towards an understanding of the problem, an assumption was made -- the so-called 'working hypothesis' -- that there were materials in tobacco smoke which, when absorbed by smokers, in some undetermined way contributed to changes in the body which predisposed to one or other of the smoking-associated diseases. I must stress that the adoption of the hypothesis does not mean that the theory of causality is accepted as the truth.... On the assumption, drawn from the working hypothesis, that lower intake of smoke should reduce the risk of lung cancer, the industry around the world began progressively to reduce the tar deliveries of cigarettes and to promote low-tar brands, while government began to publish product league tables. On both sides of the Atlantic, the industry was waiting for someone in authority -- in government or highly placed in the medical profession -- to state that smoking low tar cigarettes was associated with a lower risk of mortality. This was not something which the industry could claim -- no overt health claims can be made because of the laws of product liability and because such a claim would be a tacit admission of causality.... Meanwhile, it had come to be recognised that it was possible to remove selectively certain of the semivolatile materials from smoke and this gave an enormous impetus to smoke research. At this time, BAT adopted the guideline policy that we would develop, and have available for use, methods for the removal from smoke of any compound which was shown to be harmful, or which might reasonably be alleged to be harmful. In P.R.. terms, an allegation of harm could be almost as damaging as the demonstration of a harmful effect."

17. Senior Marketing Conference, "Marketing in the 80s, a review of strategies related to smoking and health," October 17-22 1976, BAT (File no. C214) 100461337 - 354.

    (Discussions on starters, quitters, worriers, compensation, social acceptance of smoking, behavioral profiles.)

    Notable quote: "Please consider the following theory and assemble any available evidence. The theory relates primarily to varying levels of nicotine in cigarettes and may be summarised as follows: 'Certain smokers who demand substantial "satisfaction" out of smoking will smoke more cigarettes per day, if the nicotine level of their brand is reduced; smokers of cigarettes with lower TPM [total particulate matter, or "tar"] and nicotine will similarly "compensate" by smoking more cigarettes per day, if certain reductions in deliveries are achieved over time.' A question arising from this is: are there 'optimum' levels of nicotine which will maximise or at any rate not reduce consumption, but below which consumption will fall off or even lead to quitting?" "How can we ensure that brand advertising is consistent with the policy directed to maintain and increase smoker confidence eg. by projecting a sound product image always, and by avoiding claims that provoke undue anxiety amongst smokers?"

18. Presentation with visuals (overheads, likely), approximately 1982, "Thought process behind BAT stance on smoking and health, BAT (File no. C222) 100459486 - 496.

    (Attempt to restore industry credibility, to promote low tar-low nicotine cigarettes without being seen as admitting that these are supposedly healthier because of "legal constraints," which blocks industry ability to speak openly with government and medical establishment.)

    Notable quote: "This failure to speak openly with doctors, governments, the media (and of course consumers) is generally interpreted as an admission of guilt. Industry credibility is now virtually zero. BAT believes that the only way to attempt to re-gain credibility and to engender the confidence of governments, doctors and consumers, is to adopt a more positive stance on the smoking issue." "If medical authorities (eg US Surgeon General) talk about lower delivery

    products perhaps being less hazardous, the industry with suitable constraint can call attention to such views. We cannot say that cigarettes have been scientifically established as good or bad -- but we can note the views of independent scientists and medical researchers. We must at all times be careful not to be seen to be adopting these views as our own."