Analysis of tobacco industry documents on scientific research

Institution:	University of California, San Francisco
Investigator(s):	Lisa Bero, Ph.D.
Award Cycle:	2000 (Cycle 9)	Grant #: 9RT-0193	Award: $442,646
Subject Area:	Public Health, Public Policy, and Economics
Award Type:	Research Project Awards

Abstracts

Initial Award Abstract

Recent litigation has made hundreds of thousands of internal tobacco industry documents available to the public. In this project we will identify and describe internal tobacco industry documents related to scientific research. We are interested in documents about how the tobacco industry conducted, funded, interpreted and communicated research findings, particularly research on passive smoking. A major focus of the project will be to use our previously collected data on the funding, quality and communication of tobacco industry science to evaluate the tobacco industry’s success at achieving the plans described in the internal documents. In other words, this project not only will describe what the tobacco industry said it would do, but will examine whether the industry actually completed its plans.

The project has several goals, including to: 1. Describe and assess how the tobacco industry seeks to influence the funding of science, particularly research on passive smoking. 2. Describe and assess how the tobacco industry funds and communicates criticisms of research that is unfavorable to their product. 3. Describe and assess how successful the industry was in influencing scientific publication and peer review. 4. Describe and assess how successful the industry was in influencing the coverage of tobacco research in the lay press. 5. Describe how the industry has shifted its research focus from health effects to economic research.

Analysis of tobacco industry documents on scientific research and its dissemination is important for many reasons. First, the analysis will stimulate a free flow of scientific information that may have been previously hidden. Second, the analysis will provide information that could improve public health and help develop tobacco control policies. For example, our project could help regulatory officials who make indoor air regulations decide which research to consider. Also, describing tobacco industry involvement in research could damage the corporate image of the industry and serve the valuable public health function of keeping tobacco issues in the news. Third, our project could ensure that consumers of tobacco products and those exposed to tobacco smoke are informed of the risks. Forth, documentation of tobacco industry efforts to influence research related to passive smoking could help employees, health care providers, insurers, or government agencies decide whether to consider legal actions.

Publications

Implications of the tobacco industry documents for public health and policy.
Periodical: Annual Review of Public Health			Index Medicus:
Authors: Bero L				ART
Yr: 2003	Vol: 24	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg: 267-288

How the tobacco industry responded to an influential study of the health effects of secondhand smoke.
Periodical: British Medical Bulletin			Index Medicus:
Authors: Hong M, Bero L				ART
Yr: 2002	Vol: 325	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg: 1413-1416

Financial ties and conflicts of interest between pharmaceutical and tobacco companies.
Periodical: Journal of American Medical Informatics Association			Index Medicus:
Authors: Shamasunder B, Bero L				ART
Yr: 2002	Vol: 288	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg: 738-744

Hidden agendas: the tobacco industry, ghost authorship and disclosure policies.
Periodical: American Public Health Association			Index Medicus:
Authors: Hong M, Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2001	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Searching the universe of tobacco industry documents.
Periodical: National Conference on Tobacco or Health			Index Medicus:
Authors: Bryan-Jones K, White C, Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2001	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Courting scientists: are scientific integrity and public health compromised by tobacco indusrty affiliations?
Periodical: TRDRP Annual Report to the State of California Legislature			Index Medicus:
Authors: Hong M, Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2001	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Efforts made by the tobacco indusrty to promote cigarette smoking among people with cognitive disabilities.
Periodical: American Public Health Association			Index Medicus:
Authors: Bhattacharya S, Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2002	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Tobacco free phramacies: using ethics, economics, education and law to achieve an attainable public health goal.
Periodical: American Public Health Association			Index Medicus:
Authors: Le A, Bero LA, Curie S, Fenlon C				ABS
Yr: 2002	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Monitering the tobacco industry.
Periodical: National Conference on Tobacco or Health			Index Medicus:
Authors: Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2002	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Role of special interest groups in influencing data on risk.
Periodical: American Public Health Association			Index Medicus:
Authors: Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2003	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Tobacco industry influence on health and science journalism.
Periodical: American Public Health Association			Index Medicus:
Authors: Dunsby J, Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2003	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Tobacco indusrty response to the American stop smoking intervention study (ASSIST): analysis of tobacco indusrty internal documents.
Periodical: American Public Health Association			Index Medicus:
Authors: White J, Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2003	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Who uses the tobacco industry documents and why?
Periodical: National Conference on Tobacco or Health			Index Medicus:
Authors: Michel M, Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2003	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Tobacco industry manipulation of research.
Periodical: Public Health Reports			Index Medicus:
Authors: Bero LA				ART
Yr: 0	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Public health under attack: the American Stop Smoking Intervention Study (ASSIST) and the tobacco indusrty.
Periodical: American Journal of Public Health			Index Medicus:
Authors: White J, Bero L				ART
Yr: 2004	Vol: 94	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg: 240-250

Implications of the tobacco industry documents for public health and policy.
Periodical: Annual Review of Public Health			Index Medicus:
Authors: Bero L				ART
Yr: 2003	Vol: 24	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg: 267-288

How the tobacco industry responded to an influential study of the health effects of secondhand smoke.
Periodical: British Medical Bulletin			Index Medicus:
Authors: Hong M, Bero L				ART
Yr: 2002	Vol: 325	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg: 1413-1416

Financial ties and conflicts of interest between pharmaceutical and tobacco companies.
Periodical: Journal of American Medical Informatics Association			Index Medicus:
Authors: Shamasunder B, Bero L				ART
Yr: 2002	Vol: 288	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg: 738-744

Hidden agendas: the tobacco industry, ghost authorship and disclosure policies.
Periodical: American Public Health Association			Index Medicus:
Authors: Hong M, Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2001	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Searching the universe of tobacco industry documents.
Periodical: National Conference on Tobacco or Health			Index Medicus:
Authors: Bryan-Jones K, White C, Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2001	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Courting scientists: are scientific integrity and public health compromised by tobacco indusrty affiliations?
Periodical: TRDRP Annual Report to the State of California Legislature			Index Medicus:
Authors: Hong M, Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2001	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Efforts made by the tobacco indusrty to promote cigarette smoking among people with cognitive disabilities.
Periodical: American Public Health Association			Index Medicus:
Authors: Bhattacharya S, Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2002	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Tobacco free phramacies: using ethics, economics, education and law to achieve an attainable public health goal.
Periodical: American Public Health Association			Index Medicus:
Authors: Le A, Bero LA, Curie S, Fenlon C				ABS
Yr: 2002	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Monitering the tobacco industry.
Periodical: National Conference on Tobacco or Health			Index Medicus:
Authors: Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2002	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Role of special interest groups in influencing data on risk.
Periodical: American Public Health Association			Index Medicus:
Authors: Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2003	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Tobacco industry influence on health and science journalism.
Periodical: American Public Health Association			Index Medicus:
Authors: Dunsby J, Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2003	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Tobacco indusrty response to the American stop smoking intervention study (ASSIST): analysis of tobacco indusrty internal documents.
Periodical: American Public Health Association			Index Medicus:
Authors: White J, Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2003	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Who uses the tobacco industry documents and why?
Periodical: National Conference on Tobacco or Health			Index Medicus:
Authors: Michel M, Bero L				ABS
Yr: 2003	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Tobacco industry manipulation of research.
Periodical: Public Health Reports			Index Medicus:
Authors: Bero LA				ART
Yr: 0	Vol:	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg:

Public health under attack: the American Stop Smoking Intervention Study (ASSIST) and the tobacco indusrty.
Periodical: American Journal of Public Health			Index Medicus:
Authors: White J, Bero L				ART
Yr: 2004	Vol: 94	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg: 240-250