Although I disagree with TC's policy to prohibit publication of research from the tobacco industry, I do understand the rationale for this decision. My concern is illustrated by the following scenario. Assume a pharmaceutical company owned by a tobacco industry has truly developed a safer tobacco/nicotine product; e.g. a nicotine inhaler, submits it to the US FDA or the UK MHRA. Both of these agencies have stated they would use industry data to decide on approval of such products. And assume the product is approved. Then, assume the pharmaceutical company wants to obtain independent replication of its own findings by reputable scientists or wants to do post-marketing research to examine the safety of its produce, and it offers a truly no-strings grant to a reputable scientist. Now, assume the scientist declines because he/she knows TC and other journals have stated any result from a tobacco-funded study is suspect, and because he/she fears stigmatization for taking tobacco money.

This scenario raises at least two questions. First, TC says one should not rely on data from tobacco industry studies and doing so is unethical; thus, is the FDA unethical for relying on tobacco industry data to decide on approval? Is the FDA now saying the tobacco industry is ethical enough to believe their data? If so, why does TC disagree with the FDA?

Second, TC says the tobacco industry has been unethical in the past (I totally agree); thus, should we assume they will be unethical for the entire future? If we did this within the justice system, we would recommend no-one ever hire an ex-felon. So what could the industry do to prove that it no longer tries to influence the scientific process?

I bring up these issues, because I think that it is very unlikely that we will ever have a world without nicotine products produced by the tobacco industry. To me this is as likely as alcohol prohibition in the US. If we will have the tobacco industry for the foreseeable future, then a plan in which we can encourage/force the tobacco industry into ethical practices is a better plan than one that tries to eliminate the tobacco industry.

Conflict of Interest:

I have recieved grants and consulting fees from many for-profit and non-profit organizations that develop or sell smoking cessation products or services and organizations that engage in tobacco control activities.