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Of cigarettes and science .

This is the way science is supposed to that are statistically associated with this
work. disease : smoking, high blood pressure and
A scientist observes a certain set of high cholesterol levels.
facts. To explain these facts, the scientist Half of the men received no special
comes up with a theory medical intervention . The other half re-
Then, to check the validity of the the- ceived medical treatment that consistently
ory, the scientist performs an experiment reduced all three risk factors, compared
If the experiment yields positive results, with the 5rst group.
and is duplicated by other scientists, then It was assumed that the group with
the theory is supported If the experunent lower risk factors would, over time, suffer
produoes negative results, the theory is significantly fewver deaths fiiom heart dis-
re-examined, moMed or discarded . ease than the higher risk factor group .
But, to a scientist, both positive and But that is not the way it turned out .
negative results should be important . Be- After 10 years, there was no statistically
cause both produce valuable learning . significant difference between the two
Now let~ talk about cigarettes . groups in the number of heart disease
You probably know about research that deaths.
links smoking to certain diseases. Coro-
nary heart disease is one of them . The theory persists
Much of this evidence consists of stud- We at R. J Reynolds do not claim this
ies that show a statistical association be- study proves that smoking doesn't cause
tween smoking and the disease. heart disease. But we do wish to make a
But statistics themselves cannot ex- point.
plain why smoking and heart disease are Despite the results of MR FIT and
associated . Thus, scientists have devel- other experiments like it, many scien-
oped a theory: that heart disease is caused tists have not abandoned or modified their
by smoking. Then they performed various original theory, or re-examined its assump-
experiments to check this theory. tions.
We would like to tell you about one of They continue to believe these factors
the most important of these experiments. cause heart disease. But it is important to
label their belief accxuatelx It is an opinion .
A little-known study Aiudmment But rrot suentific fact .
It was called the Multiple Risk Factor believe in science. That is why we
Intervention Mia1 QVIR FIT). continue to provide funding for indepen
In the wocds of the Wzll StreWjourna4 dent research into smoking and health
it was "one of the largest medical experi- But we do not believe there should be
ments ever atternpted." Funded by the one set of scientific principles for the whole
Federral gowmmeM it cost $115,000,000 world, and a different set for experirnents
and took 10 years, end'ing in 1982. involving cigarettes . Science is science .
The subjects were ovex 12,000 men Proof is proof. That is why the eontxoversy
who were thought to have a high risk of over smoking and health remains an open
heart disease because of three risk factors one.

. ...~.,.~„~..,n.~~. R=J, &ynolds Tobacco Company

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