Alchemy, the safer cigarette and Philipp Morris

...Yet in the ensuing half-century, virtually all reports of diseases caused by smoking were disputed by the tobacco industry, which claimed that more research was needed. Only in 1999, confronting massive litigation, did Philip Morris acknowledge “the overwhelming medical and scientific consensus that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and other serious diseases in smokers”. Meanwhile, as millions died from cigarette smoking, research funded by the tobacco industry resulted in a plethora of filters, “low tar” products, “reduced emission” cigarettes, and “mild”, “light”, or “ultra-light” brands, none of which has made smoking safer.

The search for a safer cigarette is akin to alchemists seeking to turn lead into gold. Perpetuating the myth to the medical community and the public at large may also be worth its weight in gold to Philip Morris.

The Lancet Volume 371, Issue 9625, 17 May 2008-23 May 2008, Pages 1644-1646