Stopping the Surgeon General (RJR, '82)

Stopping the Surgeon General (RJR, '82): "

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/...
Document Images: http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/...

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/...) 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/...) 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/...)

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

"