The AMA-Tobacco Industry Research Collaboration

The Unfiltered Truth About Smoking and Health

Rather than follow the lead of other major health groups and support Surgeon General Dr. Luther Terry’s call for action on the smoking and health problem, the AMA instead entered into a $10 million contract with six tobacco companies to conduct research on the effects of nicotine and other aspects of smoking. Criticized by many members, the AMA leadership defended its relationship with the tobacco industry and claimed that the funds would be used to support “independent research” that was needed for the “identification and removal of the harmful components in tobacco.”

“AMA Will Undertake Smoking-Health Study”

News article
Tobacco: The International Weekly, vol. 157, no. 24, pages 13 and 25
December 13, 1963

“Cigarette Producers Donate $10 Million to AMA Research”

News article
Tobacco: The International Weekly, vol. 158, no. 7, pages 9 and 26
February 14, 1964

“AMA is not prepared to make any statement regarding termination of the smoking-health research program”

Letter to Joseph F. Cullman, III, chairman of the board of Philip Morris, from Horace R. Kornegay, president and executive director of the Tobacco Institute, enclosing a confidential report from William Kloepfer, Jr., vice president of the Tobacco Institute; the report discusses Kloepfer’s meeting with Ernest Howard, MD, executive director of the AMA, regarding the ongoing smoking-health research program funded by the AMA Education and Research Foundation (AMA-ERF), an organization that received and distributed funding from the tobacco industry
September 3 and 7, 1971