Evening star., 1959-11-27
CANCER
New Evidence Cited
In Smoking Warning

reports that are no more con-
elusive today than when these
reports were first published"
In Louisville, Representative
Watts. Democrat of Kentucky,
Joined Burley tobacco officials in
blasting DR.. Burney's report.
"On the face of the record.
from the factual and scientific
standpoint, the Surgeon Gen
erals statements and opinions
are based on inconcluSive evi-
dence," said Mr.. Watts.
Mr.. Watts district covers the
heart Of the Central Kentucky
Burley producing belt.
The Burley Tobacco Growers
Cooperative Association called
the report unscientiflc. 1t also
declared:
"They people in Govern
ment) spoiled Thanksgiving for
the cranberry growers and for
the cranberry lovers. So we're
not surprised they chose the
week the Burley markets
opened in Kentucky (and seven
other States to spoil the day
after Thanksgiving for tobacco
growers and for smokers every
where"
At the outset of his nine
page article, DR.. Burney voiced
deep concern at the rising
death rate from lung cancer.
He said that in 1880 the rate
among white men was 3.8 per
100000 population. BY 1856,
he said, the rate had risen to
81 per 100000 and more than
$4,000 persons died of the
disease that year.
He noted that in 1856 the
mortality rate among men was
more than five times that
among women from this cause.
This difference Is not easily
explained" DR.. Burney said.
There may be a true sex diff
ference in susceptibility to the
causes of increase in lung can
Ger, but the data are not con-
elusive"
About so per cent Of the men
and 80 per cent of the women
in the United States over 18
years Of age smoke cigarettes,
the Health Service chief said.
In another aspect of the
problem, DR.. Burney said some
researchers have shown a per-
son who smokes cigarettes runs
almost three times the risk of
dying from lung cancer as the
pipe smoker and seven times
the cigar smoker.
Filter Statistics
ut is possible that this rela-
lively favorable status of pipe
or cigar smokers may be due to
the more adverse physical
characteristics of cigarette
smoke" the surgeon general
suggested.
He said cigarettes burn at
considerably higher tempera-
lures than do pipes or cigars
and that Undoubtedly =
deep inhalation of smoke is
associated almost entirely with
cigarette smoking"
Filter tips, DR.. Burney said,
accounted for only IA per cent
Of the cigarette market in 1852
and now account for about so
per cent.
But he said present knowl-
edge indicates it is mot
possible to filter, selectively,
specific components such as
carcinogens."
On this point, the Surgeon
General said:
'"Since the evidence from
both human and animal studies
shows that the risk of devel-
oping cancers is related to the
amount Of exposure to tar, the
problem is to design a filter
that will permit the minimum
flow Of whole tobacco smoke
to pass, consistent with smok-
ing satisfaction.
"The filters presently in use
Ido not eliminate, but merely
reduce the tar. It is question
able whether. from a health
point Of view, any so-called
minimum exposure to such a
hazard should be accepted"
DR.. Burney also said that
while the major part of the
cancer-producing substances is
present in the tar, others may
be found in the cigarette paper
or in tobacco additives.
"The possibility exists, in
theory at least, of treating the,
tobacco before it is packed into
cigarettes so as to eliminate
the hazard Of cancer" he said.
I'm practice. however, this has
INIT hooV1 dapanva efrafad