Health Groups Flip Flop, Again, on Tobacco Talks [05/09]

Two of the major three national health organizations have flip-flopped þ again þ on basic issues related to talks with the tobacco industry.

When word of a possible settlement which would have granted the tobacco industry immunity from liability and freedom from new regulations by the FDA first broke weeks ago, the three major national health organizations quickly denounced the very idea of considering such concessions þ this despite the fact that a key representative was participating at the talks and briefing their leaders.

Then, just three days ago, the same three organizations issued a press release saying that the "American Cancer Society and other voluntary health organizations have decided not to join the talks directly 'so that we can maintain our objectivity and properly play our role as advocates for the public . . .' "

This apparently was in response to growing pressure from organizations solely devoted to the problems of smoking which objected to the tenor of the continuing discussions, and to those purporting to represent their interests.

Now, just yesterday and with little fanfare, the American Cancer Society announced on a different news wire service that it had changed its mind and, with the American Heart Association, would continue with the discussions.

The three major national health organizations þ the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the American Lung Association þ have generally acted together with regard to the issue of smoking.

Thus the refusal of the American Lung Association to compromise their "objectivity" by joining with Cancer and Heart is a major development, says John Banzhaf, Executive Director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).

All of this comes on the heels of a meeting by some health advocates to discuss who if anyone should be at the talks.

When many of the nation's leading antismoking leaders were excluded from the meeting, they forced their way inside and pressured the national health groups to avoid the talks; a step they originally took and now have retracted, even amid the issuance of "Wanted" Posters for some settlement principals.

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