Lawyer control of the tobacco industry's external research program: the Brown and Williamson documents

Article Abstract:

Tobacco company lawyers exerted a strong influence over research decisions in an effort to turn public attention away from the health hazards of smoking. Confidential documents from Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corp. and the British American Tobacco Co. show that lawyers played an unusual major role in the selection, design and funding of research for the Council for Tobacco Research U.S.A. (CTR). Lawyers awarded special projects funded by CTR that could be used to defend the industry against lawsuits. Projects and researchers opposed to the tobacco industry's position that tobacco use is harmless would not be funded. Tobacco company lawyers often reviewed scientific manuscripts before publication. The documents also reveal that lawyers tried to turn research findings into public relations material to enhance the industry's image and to discount the disease-causing effects of tobacco use.

Research, Tobacco industry

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Lawyer control of internal scientific research to protect against products liability lawsuits: the Brown and Williamson documents

Article Abstract:

Lawyers retained by Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corp.(B&W) sought to protect the company from product liability lawsuits by keeping documents and research regarding the dangers of smoking away from potential plaintiffs. According to confidential B&W documents, company lawyers tried to keep information on B&W's research to develop a safe cigarette away from the public to avoid lawsuits that would attract attention to diseases associated with smoking. The lawyers also attempted to control scientific language by using deceptive terms such as biological activity to describe the cancer-producing properties of tobacco smoke. Selected documents on company research that found smoking to be carcinogenic were removed to offshore locations to avoid discovery.

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Looking through a keyhole at the tobacco industry: the Brown and Williamson documents

Article Abstract:

Internal documents show that two major tobacco companies knew 30 years ago that smoking can cause cancer and that nicotine is addictive. The Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation (B&W) and its parent British American Tobacco Company apparently engaged in legal and advertising deceptions to keep this information from the public. Lawyers for the tobacco companies took a key role in deciding what tactics to pursue and what research should be undertaken. Company officials have continued to contend that smoking is not addictive or disease-producing. Although the companies have claimed they are concerned about health risks, they have refused to acknowledge publicly the hazardous effects of smoking shown by scientific research.

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