7-5600 Pe) New York 17, Ue ete ue ery TT el oan For: Tobacco Industry Research Committee FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (March 23, 1957) HARTNETT CITES POINTS FOR CLARIFICATION IN TOBACCO HEALTH STUDY Commenting on a smoking and health study which reached public attention yesterday "before it had been reviewed and evaluated by sponsoring agencies," Timothy VY. Hartnett, chairman of the Tobacco Industry Research Committee, issued the following statement: Having read the report of the Study Group on suoking and heaith as published in the press, I believe several points should be made clear as an aid to the public's understanding of this review. First, the seven-man study group does not clain to have conducted research that contributes new knowledge to the problea. Second, the study group members make clear that they have presented a review and interpretation of existing research work. Third, the report of the study group represents the viewpoints of seven individuals comprising the group, based on their interpretation of the material they reviewed. they call Fourth, despite their personal conclusions, for additional research into the subject and discuss sone especially with statistical of the difficulties involved, studies, because of what they call "the relatively low death rate” from lung cancer. (nore)This is not the first group that has stated its belief that many studies on lung cancer point toward « cause and effect relationship between cigarette smoking and some unknown proportions of lung cancer incidence. Sone members of this study group: have previously expressed publicly their belief in this relationship. In effect, the report restates the opinions expressed by E. Cuyler Hamaond in 1954 when he made his first statistical report based on the American Cancer Society survey of smoking habits and death rates. The Tobacco Industry Research Committee expects from time to tine there will be clains of this and a similar natare. It has happened before and it unquestionably will happen again. However, this summation and evaluation of existing evidence does not change the basic problem and adds no new information to knowledge of the complex origin of lung cancer. The Tobacco Industry Research Committee adheres to the position expressed and still maintained by Dr. Clarence Cook Little, scientific director and chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board, Dr. Little had stated earifer that the Scientific Advisory Board “is in agreement with the vast najority of experimental scientists who concur in the view that our knowledge of the formidable challengers of human survival -- such as cancer and heart disease -- 4s far from conclusive or complete. (more)"Qur sole purpose is to encourage and support qualified research scientists in their efforts to learn nore about these complex problems. . “Perhaps the most important thing we have learned so far is how auch more must be done before definitive answers can be given.”