Grüning, Gilmore and McKee have conclusively demonstrated that the
tobacco industry secretly undermined public health policy by distorting
science and suborning scientists. A further egregious instance may be
given. Franz Adlkofer, scientific director for the German tobacco industry
trade association ("Verband", the VdC) attacked the study indicating that
exposure to passive smoke was linked to coronary heart disease in American
nurses (1). At the close of his letter to the editor Adlkofer wrote:
"Asked for a possible conflict of interest, I declare categorically that I
am not in any way, financially, economically, or otherwise, linked to the
cigarette industry." He signed it "Prof Dr F. Adlkofer Berlin, Germany."
(2)
(1) Kawachi I, Colditz GA, Speizer FE, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ,
Willett WC,Hennekens CH. A prospective study of passive smoking and
coronary heart disease. Circulation 1997;95:2374–2379.
(2) Adlkofer F. (Letter) Passive Smoking and Coronary Heart
Disease in Women. Circulation 1998;97:1870.