American Cancer Society Skeptical Over RJR's Safer Cigarette

American Cancer Society
Wednesday, 19 April 2000

The American Cancer Society, the nation's leading voluntary health organization, today expressed skepticism over R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's reintroduction of a "safer" cigarette, Eclipse, and called for meaningful federal oversight to substantiate such claims.

"The tobacco industry's long history of deception should give the American public pause," said John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of the American Cancer Society. "Because there is no independent scientific oversight or authority over tobacco products, the industry feels free to make unsubstantiated claims about the safety of its products. But the bottom line is that the cancer risks associated with tobacco use are still undeniably great."

According to news reports, RJR will make the claim that smoking Eclipse-brand cigarettes "may reduce the risk of smoking-associated cancers" and lower the risk of lung disease.

"RJR's health claims, which have not been substantiated by any federal or independent body, only serve to confuse the public about the dangers of tobacco," added Seffrin. "For this reason, we are calling for Congress to act now and provide the FDA with the type of oversight that could verify or refute these types of assertions. Only through meaningful FDA regulation can we prevent Big Tobacco from making unverifiable claims about their deadly products."

Tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of death in America, killing nearly 430,000 people each year. Thirty percent of all cancer cases are attributable to tobacco-use. More than $50 billion is spent in health care costs each year to treat smokers suffering from cardiovascular disease, cancer and lung disease, and other related ailments.

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service.

For more information, or to contact American Cancer Society, see their website at: www.cancer.org