From: anne@tobaccodocuments.org
Date: Thu, 02/14/08
Posting Date: Thursday, February 14, 2008
"Academic Freedoms / Ethics in Science" Issue
Date: May 1998 (est.)
Length: 3 pages
Bates No. 2078745608/5610
URL of this Posting: http://tobaccodocuments.org/landman/
2078745608-5610.html
URL of this document: http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/pzz37c00
This three-page Philip Morris (PM) report describes the problems both
PM and the tobacco industry face when scientists and academics refuse
to take tobacco funding for their research. PM notes the "loss of
credibility of the Company, the tobacco industry or individual
scientists because they have received research funding by a tobacco
company."
When scientists and academics refuse to take tobacco money, PM loses
credibility, and the business impacts of this are vast, according to
the report. If left checked, it can keep PM and other tobacco
companies from publishing their own research, impede corporate hiring
and increase the difficulty of keeping current employees. It can
hinder the ability of tobacco companies to participate in mainstream
scientific conferences and make it difficult for tobacco scientists
to interact with the scientific community. It hinders tobacco
companies' ability to recruit third-party consultants and expert
witnesses for courtroom trials and legislative testimony. It can also
reduce the acceptance of corporate statements made to regulatory
agencies.
This paper shows that PM makes it a business objective to promote
"academic freedom," or the ability of academics and scientists to
take tobacco money.
Quotes
Academic Freedoms/Ethics in Science
Issue Definition:
Loss of credibility of the Company, the tobacco industry or
individual scientists because they have received research funding by
a tobacco company.
Assertions of conflict of interest have been raised towards
physicians, scientists, academics and others who have received funds
from the tobacco industry or who are employed by the industry. These
assertions of conflict of interest, or even the threat of such an
assertion, have negatively affected the ability of the tobacco
industry or its contractors to publish or present the results of
research.
Business impacts:
The issue may adversely affect our ability to perform, publish
and to support research on important scientific and/or public health
issues and consequently:
--Undermine the credibility of company testimony, position
statements and regulatory responses to market our products in some
venues and the ability to smoke in some venues.
--Negatively affect the Company with regard to the scientific
community in many ways: impedes hiring; may increase the difficulty
of keeping current employees; hinders participation in scientific
meetings and interactions in a constructive manner with those in the
scientific community; impedes the ability to obtain consultants and
expert wittneses. It may also affect future activities, e.g., the
acceptance of research results and corporate statements made to
regulatory agencies.
--Diminish our ability to credibly articulate our views on
scientific data and interpretations in the appropriate venues.
Business Objective:
--Encourage ethics in science to promote academic freedom, so
that research is judged on the basis of the science performed, not by
who has performed he work, not by where the work was performed, nor
who has funded it, specifically:
--Ensuring objective evaluation of scientific research,
irrespective of funding mechanism. --Maintaining and enhancing our
ability to provide both internal and independently conducted
scientific and technical information to the Corporation.
Company
Philip Morris
Region
United States/Global
Litigation
Feda/Produced
Operation/Project
Academic Freedoms Project/Campaign
Type
Report, other
Subject
Tobacco funding of academic research
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Center for Media and Democracy
anne@sourcewatch.org
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