From: anne@tobaccodocuments.org
Date: Thu, 12/28/06
Anne LandmanPosting Date: Thursday, December 28, 2006
Surgeon General's Report.
Company/Source Collection: R.J. Reynolds
Document Date: 26 Feb 1982
Length: 1 page
Bates No. 506062870
URL of this Posting (w/ images):
http://tobaccodocuments.org/landman/506062870-2870.html
Document Images: http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/aza05d00
In this memo, R.J. Reynolds' Vice President of Government Relations, Gene
Ainsworth, describes how the company could deal with the damage being done to
the cigarette industry by the annual U.S. Surgeon General's reports on the
health consequences of smoking: eliminate the reports entirely by sneaking an
amendment to do just that into an omnibus legislative bill.
An undated memo written by Horace Kornegay of the Tobacco Institute
(http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/vnq92f00) shows that the industry thought it
was a valuable idea. Kornegay wrote up the rationale for eliminating the
requirement that the U.S. Surgeon General issue annual reports on the health
consequences of smoking:
"There are no public benefits from annual reports that essentially duplicate
previous reports. To the contrary, repetitive statements based on previously
reported information tend to mislead the public about the state of knowledge
concerning smoking and health issues... Antismoking advocates have come
increasingly in recent years to seize on the annual report of the Surgeon
General for propaganda purposes, which obscures the purpose of the reports
--which is to provide in a scientifically accurate and dispassionate manner
information with regard to smoking and health. As a result, public confidence in
the reliability of government health information programs has been undermined,
the Office of the Surgeon General has been diverted from its mission of health
promotion and disease prevention, and tax revenues have been wasted."
Tobacco industry attacks on the Office of the Surgeon General continued in
later years. A 2-page report describes a 1997 legislative attempt by industry
political ally Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-TX, defeated in the Nov. 7, 2006 election)
to de-fund the Surgeon General's Office completely :
(http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/gnq72c00) A transcript from a February 11,
1997 meeting of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Congressional
Subcommittee on Appropriations shows Rep. Bonilla pressing for the complete
termination of the Office of the Surgeon General. Bonilla told the head of DHHS
that "The Office of the Surgeon General is unnecessary. Moneys used to fund it
could otherwise be used for CDC health treatment efforts...Why not eliminate it,
like the private sector would?" (http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/sfj62c00)
Quotes
In your February 23 memorandum to Ed Horrigan on the 1982 Surgeon General's
Report you listed two possible actions the industry might wish to pursue. I
would like to add a third item to this list for your consideration:
-- Amend the relevant provision of the Federal Cigarette Labeling and
Advertising Act to eliminate the annual reporting obligation of the Secretary of
HHS with respect to "the health consequences of smoking." This is certainly not
a new item for consideration -- it was contained in the May 1, 1981 TI
submission to the Presidential Task Force on Regulatory Relief -- however the
problems created by annual Surgeon General's Reports are so serious, in my
opinion, as to warrant an immediate and thorough review of possible actions to
eliminate this reporting requirement. I hold no naive thoughts that such action
could be successful standing alone as an independent legislative proposal.
However, if it were to be woven into an omnibus regulatory and legislative
relief proposal by the Administration it might have a chance of passage. Without
change in the annual reporting requirement we can, unfortunately, expect future
reports by Dr. Koop to be increasingly damaging to the industry.
-------------------------
Company
R.J. Reynolds
Author
Ainsworth, W. Eugene (RJR VP, Government Relations)
W. Eugene "Gene" Ainsworth Jr. served as the Vice President of Government
Relations for R. J. Reynolds Tobacco USA in 1984 and 1987 and as Senior Vice
President of Government Relations for RJR Tobacco USA in 1988 & 1989. (Source:
R. J. Reynolds Summary - RJR Liability Notebook).
Recipient
Tucker, Charles A. (Director, RJR Tobacco Co. 1983)
Also on TI Communications Committee, 1983
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This service is created by Anne Landman, facilitated by Tobacco Documents
Online, www.tobaccodocuments.org and sponsored by the Center for Media and
Democracy, www.sourcewatch.org
Anne Landman
Tobacco Document Research/TobaccoWiki Editor
P.O. Box 23099
Glade Park, CO 81523-0099
Office (970) 263-9199
Cell (970) 216-9842
anne@sourcewatch.org
www.sourcewatch.org
Donate now to support independent, public interest reporting:
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=1118
Collaborate with our public interest investigations:
http://www.sourcewatch.org
| 
