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University of California and Big Tobacco Research $$$$$$$$$$$ . . . .

There has been an ongoing debate at the University of California about whether the UC system should accept money from the tobacco industry to support scientific and medical research.  Many public health advocates think it is a no-brainer: how can a research institution conduct unbiased research about tobacco related disease and addiction if the tobacco industry is sponsoring that research?

Advocates claim that there is a long history of the tobacco industry supporting biased research, and they note that there is no such thing as "no strings attached" money when it comes from Big Tobacco.  They site the tobacco industry's own documents to show their real motives.

Did we mention some of the research involves studying the brain chemistry of addicted teen smokers?! We wonder why Philip Morris would want to know more about that?!  

UC, and some of their research faculty in particular, claims its an issue of academic freedom, and that they should be able to accept research funding from whomever they choose.

You be the judge:

Check out more of those tobacco industry docs at: http://tobaccodocuments.org/landman/2078745608-5610.html
Tobacco document researcher Anne Landman highlights a three-page report from Philip Morris about this issue.  Landman notes, "this report describes the problems both PM and the tobacco industry face when scientists and academics refuse to take tobacco funding for their research.  PM notes the "loss of credibility of the Company, the tobacco industry or individual scientists because they have received research funding by a tobacco company." When scientists and academics refuse to take tobacco money, PM loses credibility, and the business impacts of this are vast, according to the report."  Be sure to check out the link above for all the details!

What about those UC researches?  Read some choice comments in  a recent L.A. Times story, "A Smolering Contovery at UCLA."
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tobacco9feb09,1,1912073.story 
Here's a preview . . . "Roberto Peccei, vice chancellor for research at UCLA, said the company's motives were immaterial. "I have no idea why Philip Morris decides to fund this anti-smoking research, but they do," he said. "As long as we do not feel that we are interfered with and that the research is done with the highest intentions, what's in the mind of the funder is irrelevant." But critics say the UCLA study allows Philip Morris to sponsor research on adolescents that would prompt an outcry if the company did this work in its own laboratories."  

And, how much money are we talking about?  A lot - more than $16.5 million! Tobacco company Philip Morris is sponsoring 23 tobacco-related research projects at seven University of California campuses. Here are the grants, by school, as of June 2007.
* UCLA ...$7,674,604
* UC Davis...$3,811,200
* UC Berkeley...$2,066,867
* UC San Diego...$1,537,813
* UC Santa Barbara...$647,815
* UC Irvine...$582,228
* UC Riverside...$327,134

Total... $16,647,661

Tagged:
money UC university california philip morris research