De. Barnes et al., ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO-SMOKE - THE BROWN-AND-WILLIAMSON DOCUMENTS, JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association, 274(3), 1995, pp. 248-253
Objective.-To examine the tobacco industry's public and private respon
ses to rising concern over the health effects of environmental tobacco
smoke (ETS). Data Sources.-Documents from Brown and Williamson Tobacc
o Corporation (B&W), the British American Tobacco Company (BAT), and o
ther tobacco interests provided by an anonymous source, obtained from
Congress, and received from the private papers of a former BAT officer
. Study Selection.-All available materials, including confidential rep
orts regarding research and internal memoranda exchanged between tobac
co industry lawyers. Conclusions.-Privately, B&W and BAT began conduct
ing research related to ETS in the mid 1970s. BAT researchers appear t
o have determined that sidestream smoke produces irritation, that it c
ontains toxic substances including N-nitrosamines, and that it is ''bi
ologically active'' (eg, carcinogenic) in laboratory tests. During the
1980s, the primary purpose of BAT's research related to ETS was to de
velop a new cigarette that emitted less irritating and less biological
ly active sidestream smoke. Publicly, the tobacco industry has denied
that exposure to ETS has been proven dangerous to health. It has criti
cized the methodology of published research on ETS, even when some of
its own consultants have privately acknowledged that the research was
valid, In addition, the industry has funded scientific research with t
he stated purpose of anticipating and refuting the evidence against ET
S. The tobacco industry's strategy regarding passive smoking has been
remarkarbly similar to its strategy regarding active smoking. it has p
rivately conducted internal research, at least some of which has suppo
rted the conclusion that passive smoking is dangerous to health, while
it has publicly denied that the hazards have been proven.