OTHER NEWS - July 27, 1994

Anti-Smoking Groups Strike Back at Tobacco Ads: The Coalition on Smoking or Health--grouping the American Cancer Society, American Heart Assn. and American Lung Assn.--went on the attack against the latest tobacco industry public relations efforts, calling them “smoke, lies and videotape.” The coalition took aim in particular at ads questioning the health risks of secondhand smoke. “Arguing about the deadly effects of passive smoke is like discussing whether the world is really round,” said Dr. Randolph Smoak, representing the American Medical Assn. at a news conference called by the coalition. A recent series of Philip Morris Cos. ads has questioned whether scientific research into secondhand smoke was sound and whether the data was “manipulated” for political ends.