Wed, AM: Webb v. Farone on Reducing of Tar/Nicotine Deliveries
October 6, 2004 1:51 pm by Gene BorioDOJ lawyer Andrew Goldfarb questioned William A. Farone about methods used to engineer a safer cigarette by removing delivery levels of toxins. Farone had worked in this area in his 8 years at Philip Morris (1976-84) as Director of Applied Research.
Defense Attorney Dan Webb asked Farone in more detail about those methods, asking at regular intervals variations of the questions (paraphrasing), “Do you think it was a good thing that you and other scientists were working to remove these toxins? Do you think it was a good thing that Philip Morris was spending a great deal of time and resources to work on this technology? Are you proud of the work you and your coworkers did to reduce tar deliveries?”
He specifically addressed Farone’s work finding the ideal part of the filter in which to provide ventilation holes, and asked, “Did you try to put them where smokers were likely to block them.?” Farone said no.
Webb also asked (paraphrasing), “If anyone makes allegations that you or anyone at Philip Morris put those holes in a position to allow smokers to manipulate delivery, would those allegations be true?” Farone said no.
Webb’s effort seemed focused on establishing that the defendant companies throughout the 50s-90s worked hard to reduce the hazards of smoking, often in accord with recommendations from the public health community, including Drs. Wynder and Hoffmann. And those efforts were often successful in reducing tar and nicotine yields (at least in some cigarettes).
Webb also grilled Farone on his termination from Philip Morris in 1986. Webb established that at the time, Farone felt he was terminated because his wife, also a Philip Morris employee, had filed an Equal Opportunity suit against the company. He was never told the reason.
Now, Farone said, he’s not so sure that was the sole reason. He said he now thought perhaps it was because of the Cipollone case, filed in 1983. “If I did testify in that case,” Farone said, “And I was asked if smoking was addictive and caused cancer, I would have had to say yes. Thomas Osdene did testify, and he said, . . . ”
Webb had had quite enough of that answer, thank you, and cut Farone off.
Osdene’s October, 1984 testimony is in the DATTA collection: http://tobaccodocuments.org/datta/OSDENET100484.html
October 9th, 2004 at 6:56 pm
See my website www.TobaccoAflatoxinAlert.org and Google search “tobacco aflatoxin”. FDA regulates aflatoxin on all crops but tobacco.The House of Representatives voted yesterday to strip FDA regulation from the $10 Billion handout to tobacco growers at urging of RJR and Burr. The industry has not changed and continues to obfuscate and delay meaningful change. Contact your Congressman and Senator and Demand FDA regulation of this toxic carcinogen and immunosuppressant on tobacco.