Fiery Reception for Smoking Data Request

In the UK, a request to the University of Stirling by tobacco firm Philip Morris International for raw survey data, under the Freedom of Information Act, has drawn angry responses from the University and other quarters.

The data is from around 5,500 confidential interviews with teenagers aged between 11 and 16, discussing their views on smoking and tobacco. The interviews have been carried out since 1999 by the Centre for Tobacco Control Research, set up by Cancer Research UK and part of the University's Institute for Social Marketing unit.

According to UK paper The Daily Telegraph, the data forms the basis for two major studies of the negative effects of cigarette packaging and marketing on young people in Britain, looking in particular at why teenagers start smoking and what they think of marketing by tobacco companies.

After an initial anonymous request made through lawyers in 2009, Philip Morris made another in its own name, leading to a quarrel in which the Scottish Information Commissioner has intervened this year. In June the Commissioner said the University's rejection on the grounds that the claim was 'vexatious' was not a correct reason, and ordered it to issue another response - the University now says the request will cost too much money to process, a legitimate reason (if true) under the terms of the Act.

The opposition to Philip Morris includes the University's Prof Gerard Hastings, who co-authored the studies with Prof Linda Bauld; Cancer Research UK Director of Tobacco Control Jean King; and SNP MSP Annabelle Ewing. Many of their objections centre around the view that giving the data to the tobacco company will breach the confidentiality of respondents, while Philip Morris spokespeople have stressed that - as specified by the FOI Act - data will be anonymous. Peter Nixon, Philip Morris VP of Communications, says the firm wishes to see the data in order to understand more about the University's findings regarding plain packaging for cigarettes.

However, opponents also note that tobacco companies have sought to discredit academic research into smoking by picking apart methodology. Sheila Duffy, CEO of Action on Smoking and Health Scotland, commented: 'This is a cynical attempt to undermine research and to disrupt efforts to prevent young people becoming hooked on this lethal and addictive substance.' Jean King notes that cigarette firms have 'a history of dirty tricks', have tried to infiltrate scientific institutions and distort their evidence, and have funded research that casts doubt on the dangers of smoking.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.