From: afoxland@starband.net
Date: Mon, 08/11/03
Anne LandmanPosting Date: Monday, August 11, 2003
Oslo Conference
Company/Source: Philip Morris (now a division of Altria Group)
Document Date: 16 Aug 1993
Length: 2 pages
Bates No. 2501005175/5176
URL: http://tobaccodocuments.org/landman/2501005175-5176.html
PDF Version: http://tobaccodocuments.org/landman/2501005175-5176.pdf
This internal Philip Morris (PM) memo from Matt Winokur (manager of PM
Worldwide Regulatory Affairs in Europe) proposes strategies the company could
use to change to focus of a 1993 conference in Oslo, Norway on passive smoking.
The conference was sponsored by the "Europe Against Cancer program" and the
Nordic Cancer Union, and was to focus on the health hazards of children's
exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke. The conference was to be held during
"European Cancer Week" 1993.
Winokur felt that anyone attending the meeting on behalf of the
tobacco industry should avoid the health debate and might "risk ridicule for
being a mouthpiece of the industry." He also believed that if PM sent someone
from Covington and Burling (also known as C&B, the law firm PM used to help
deceive the public about secondhand smoke) that person might "run the likely
risk of exposing the relationship" between PM and the law firm. Winokur then
suggests how PM could take the meeting's focus off of the health effects of
secondhand smoke on children and "sow seeds of discontent within the health
fraternity." Winokur says,
"...a more attractive idea...would be to try to create some
countervailing publicity concerning the other REAL threats to the health of
children and cancer prevention in general that are being overlooked while all
this PR time is being spent on smoking...Two approaches come to mind...
1. Find out what cancer related causes and illnesses are NOT getting the
support (funding $$$ and PR) their advocates believe they deserve. Find out who
those advocates are and find routes to inform them with the information about
underfunding. They may not come out publicly but in the long term this may sow
seeds of discontent within the health fraternity."
Winokur's second proposal was to find a third party to represent the
industry's point of view at the conference "and make sure they have a position
which puts the ETS issue in a broader context...For example, the workforce
people should say that while ETS may be an issue, it should not... be allowed to
overshadow the many other important issues that affect the workplace...and so
forth."
This memo shows how PM worked to obscure the link between secondhand
smoke exposure and illness (especially regarding children). It was copied to
some of the highest executives at PM, including Steven Parrish (Senior Vice
President of PM USA in 1993, who later become head of the company), Anthony
Andrade (Associate General Counsel for PM), and Marc Firestone, who served as
Senior Vice President of PM Worldwide Regulatory Affairs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes
The descriptor "Telex" is used to apply to the early emails used
within the industry for internal corporate communication. Most documents labeled
"telexes" were essentially internal emails.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quotes:
Received your memo...for those I've copied who did not, it refers to
an invitation you received to speak at a conference in Oslo on October 11. The
conference is sponsored by the Europe Against Cancer program and the Nordic
Cancer Union. It is timed to coincide with the EAC's "European Cancer Week"
1993:11-17 October. The "week's" theme is called "Breathing Space" and is
focused on "passive smoking". The Oslo meeting will focus on kid's exposures.
Response:
...[B]ased only on the letter and program you sent, its my
impression that you or any advocate of even a "balanced view" would get
[em]broiled not only on the substance of the debate but would risk ridicule for
being a mouthpiece for the industry. And if its not you and, instead, a C&B
[Covington and Burling] consultant for example, we'd probably run the likely
risk of exposing the relationship.
The forum seems so biased...including Dr. Alan Blum...that I just
don't see how we could even make a dent in their mentality, at least not on
THEIR terms.
Alternative:
A more attractive idea, at least in theory, would be to try to
create some countervailing publicity concerning the other REAL threats to the
health of children and cancer prevention in general that are being overlooked
while all this PR time is being spent on smoking...
Two approaches come to mind:
1. Find out what cancer related causes and illnesses are NOT getting
the support (funding $$$ and PR) their advocates believe they deserve. Find out
who those advocates are and find routes to them with the information about
underfunding. They may not come out publicly but in the long term this may sow
seeds of discontent within the health fraternity.
2. Identify the parties who are the real targets of the EAC
"Breathing Space" campaign and make sure they have a position which puts the ETS
issue into a broader context, i.e., their context. For example, the workforce
people should say that while ETS may be an issue, it should not be taken out of
context and allowed to overshadow the many other important issues that affect
the workplace...and so forth...
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Company: Philip Morris
Author: Winokur, Matthew (Manager, Worldwide Regulatory Affairs, PM
Europe)
Recipient: Carlson, Stig (Director of PM Corporate Affairs EEMA
Region, based in Sweden)
Region: Europe
Oslo
Named Organization: Europe Against Cancer program
Nordic Cancer Union
Operation/Project: Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)
Type: Telex (email)
Memorandum
Named Person: Parrish, Steven C. (Sr. VP, General Counsel for PM
USA) Partner of industry law firm Shook Hardy and Bacon before going to
work for PM. Was VP of PM Corporate Scientific Affairs in 1990. Defends PM on
television.
Reiman, Andre M (Assistant Secretary, PM International c. 1991-3)
Andrade, Anthony J. (Associate General Counsel, PM Switzerland)
Associate General Counsel for Philip Morris. Worked for Shook, Hardy and
Bacon. Vice President, PM Worldwide Regulatory Affairs, 1994. Responsible for
management and direction of ETS focused department. Reported to Steven Parrish,
Senior VP of PM External Affairs.
Bushong, David W. (Vice President, European Affairs- Philip Morris)
c. 1993
Greenberg, David (VP, Gov't Affairs PM 1990, VP Corp. Affairs, PM
EEMA Region 9) Vice President PM USA 1989
Lattanzio, Ted (Director, Worldwide Regulatory Affairs PM 1994)
USA. Member of PM Ventilation Task Force.
Firestone, Marc S. (Senior VP, PM Worldwide Regulatory Affairs)
Formerly of Arnold and Porter.(PMI's Introduction to Privilege Log and
Glossary of Names, Estate of Burl Butler v. PMI, et al, April 19, 1996)
Puotila, Johan (ETS Spokesperson, Philip Morris c. 1993) 1993
Maglione, Paul (Philip Morris EEC, Lausanne office, c. 1990-PMI ETS
Group)
Sullivan, Joanna - PM Corporate Affairs, Brussels
Subject: Secondhand Smoke
corporate intelligence
Corporate strategy
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