Institutional addiction to tobacco

I just read an interesting article about how the tobacco industry can enter institutions via well-positioned people (see the citation below).

• Robert Prichard: former president and former Dean of Law at the University of Toronto. During his time as president, he was concurrently a director of Imasco (the holding company of Imperial Tobacco).
• Robert Parker: member of the Board of the Foundation of Women's College Hospital (a fully-affiliated teaching hospital of the University of Toronto). He is also president and chief spokesperson for the Canadian Tobacco Manufacturers' Council.
• Brian Levitt: appointed to the University of Toronto's fundraising campaign cabinet in 1997. He was also president and chief executive officer of Imasco.

While it may not be surprising, this information is certainly disturbing. One can only imagine what the implications of these practices are.

Source: Cohen JE, Ashley MJ, Ferrence R, Brewster JM, Goldstein AO (1999) Institutional addiction to tobacco. Tobacco Control 8:70-74

100% tobacco-free!

It is with elation and a sense of closure that we report the divestment of the University of Toronto from its remaining Rothmans Inc. stocks. To our knowledge, this makes the University of Toronto the first Canadian university to divest from tobacco companies. Hopefully, other post-secondary institutions across the nation will follow their lead towards ethical investing.

University divestment harms the tobacco industry: who would've thought?

The reason we do what we do. This three-page Philip Morris internal report was published in the journal Academic Freedoms/Ethics in Science from May 1998. It details their fears over the "loss of credibility" they suffer when universities divest of their stocks.

What's fascinating about this (don't take our word for it, highlights from the document and a link to the full version are here for you) is the illusion, deliberate or otherwise, that they actually have a credible and constructive role to play in the scientific community and that they wish to continue in their prestigious role. E-BUTT's position is that make-believe can be fun, but this is just taking it too far.

"Academic Freedoms/Ethics in Science" Issue
Date: May 1998
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 report describes the problems both Philip Morris and the tobacco industry face when scientists and academics refuse to take tobacco funding for their research. Philip Morris notes the "loss of credibility of the Company, the tobacco industry or individual scientists because they have received research funding by a tobacco company."

According to the report, the refusal of scientists and academics refuse to accept tobacco money causes Philip Morris to lose credibility, with vast business impacts. If left checked, it can keep Philip Morris 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. The refusal also 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 Philip Morris makes it a business objective to promote "academic freedom," in other words the ability of academics and scientists to accept 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.

Sails ahoy

EDMONTON - Bruce Saville, member of the board of governors of the University of Alberta, is under fire from an anti-tobacco student group for not supporting its campaign to ban tobacco-funded research money to the university.

In October, when a group of students from E-Butt (Education-Bringing Youth Tobacco Truths) approached Saville, he wouldn't take their pamphlet about getting big tobacco off campus, saying "No, I think dirty money is money."

His words were captured on video and....

Read full article...

Dirty money and the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta has invested approximately $2 million in Tobacco Industry stocks. Moreover, the University has also accepted nearly $1 million in funding during 2006-07.

According to Statistics Canada, tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in Canada, claiming nearly 37 000 lives every year.

Tobacco companies have established relationships with academic institutions in an effort to help promote tobacco use, distort science, and create diversions regarding the harmful nature of tobacco.

Moreover, the Board of Governors has ruled that the Students Union cannot accept tobacco industry funding thereby creating an unacceptable double-standard.

The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, the Faculty of Nursing and the School of Public Health have all recently voted to eliminate acceptance of tobacco industry funding.

A number of Canadian universities have severed financial ties with the tobacco industry, including the University of Lethbridge, the University of Toronto, and McGill University.

The University of Alberta’s financial ties with the tobacco industry are compromising the integrity of the institution, its faculty and its students.

Please sign the online petition so that the Administration knows that there are students who care, and who believe that accepting money from or investing money in the Tobacco Industry is wrong, if not by legal, but by ethical standards.

For University of Alberta students, faculty, staff and alumni:
http://www.petitiononline.com/uoatdp/

For everyone else:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/uoatdpb/petition.html

Thank you,
Aditya Rao
Education Bringing Youth Tobacco Truths, Alberta.

Tyler Ward
Education Bringing Youth Tobacco Truths, Canada.

You don't always die from tobacco

... But is it worth it?

Tobacco industry statements

Original video here

Thanks, tobacco: you killed my mom

Read about the video here

Tyler Ward, youngest winner of Norman C. Delarue award

EDMONTON, October 3 – Tyler Ward, a University of Toronto student and executive director of Education-Bringing Youth Tobacco Truths (E-BUTT) became the youngest winner of the Norman C. Delarue award today, presented by Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada.

Ward became the 14th recipient for his work to raise awareness about tobacco, schools and young people, and for successfully petitioning the University of Toronto to remove tobacco products from campus and sell-off its tobacco industry investments.

“I am deeply honoured to be chosen for this prestigious award,” said Ward, followed by deafening applause. “There are countless others who have achieved amazing things in tobacco control, and there is still much to be done. I dedicate this award to all of you as we work together for a smokefree Canada.”

After the presentation, Ward left the conference to present a letter to Dr. Indira Samarasekera, president at the University of Alberta, requesting that the institution halt tobacco industry research grants and donations, and sell-off any tobacco-related investments.

“The University of Alberta needs to follow the lead of its health-related schools and stop accepting money from an industry whose products kill more than 50 per cent of long-term users,” said Ward. “In fact, all institutions of higher education should cut ties to an industry that has repeatedly lied to the public, manipulated research and deceived governments over the health concerns and addictiveness of the products they sell.”

E-BUTT’s latest campaign is called RID (Research-Investments-Donations), and aims to bring students, faculty and the general public across Canada together on this important issue.

“We applaud Tyler for everything he has done at such a young age to improve the health of Canadians,” said Cynthia Callard, executive director, Physician’s for a Smoke-Free Canada. “He was very deserving of this honour and we anticipate great work from him in the future.”

Tobacco use is the largest cause of preventable death and disease. Smoke-free initiatives protect the public against the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and make a world of difference in improving health. Actions must be taken at every level to achieve a smoke-free Canada.

Download Report in pdf format

Tobacco divestment by University of Toronto

After E-BUTT's founding in January 2006, the March of that year saw the submission of a petition with over 300 students' signatures on it, along with a letter to the President of the University of Toronto, Dr. David Naylor, asking him to consider their proposal which encouraged the University of Toronto to divest (get rid of) 100% of their tobacco and tobacco related stocks and to implement a policy forbidding investments in Big Tobacco.

In response to the petition, President Naylor appointed a committee to recommend whether he should accept E-BUTT's proposal. The committee was chaired by the Vice President of Business Affairs at the University of Toronto, and comprised of five members of the University's Governing Council. In December 2006, E-BUTT presented the advisory committee with a detailed report advising them to divest. In March 2007, the advisory committee advised President Naylor to accept E-BUTT's recommendations. On March 28th, 2007, the University of Toronto became the first major university in Canada to divest from Big Tobacco (the University of Lethbridge, adopted a policy in 2006 banning investments in Big Tobacco). One month after the University of Toronto divested, McGill University followed the University of Toronto's lead and divested their tobacco stocks.

Letter from President Naylor explaining why he divested.

Divestment Report from the Advisory Committee.

E-BUTT's Report to the Advisory Committee

Divestment Kit from E-BUTT.