JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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To introduce a series of papers discussing previously undocumented tobacco industry activities regarding strategies to avoid products liability litigation, understand nicotine addiction, and manipulate both internal and external scientific research on the effects of both active and passive smoking. ⋯ These documents provide our first look at the inner workings of the tobacco industry during the crucial period in which the scientific case that smoking is addictive and kills smokers solidified. The documents show a sophisticated legal and public relations strategy to avoid liability for the diseases induced by tobacco use. The documents show that lawyers steered scientists away from particular research avenues, which is inconsistent with the company's purported disbelief in the causation and addiction claims; if the company had been genuinely unconvinced by the causation and addiction hypotheses, then it should have had no concern that new research would provide ammunition for the enemy. Quite the contrary, the documents show that B&W and BAT recognized more than 30 years ago that nicotine is addictive and that tobacco smoke is "biologically active" (eg, carcinogenic).
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To examine the effects of giving up smoking, years since quitting smoking and the quantity of cigarettes smoked, and primary pipe or cigar smoking on the risk of stroke. ⋯ Smoking cessation is associated with a considerable and rapid benefit in decreasing the risk of stroke, particularly in light smokers (< 20 cigarettes/d); a complete loss of risk is not seen in heavy smokers. Switching to pipe or cigar smoking confers little benefit, emphasizing the need for complete cessation of smoking. The absolute benefit of quitting smoking on risk of stroke is most marked in hypertensive subjects.