Acknowledgments 
ONE HUMORED ThiAO CONGRESS 
HENffY A. WAXk^iN. CAllfOANlA. CHAIRMAN 
MIKE STHAA. OKLAHOMA 
RON WVOEN. OREGON 
THOMAS J. eULEY. JR. VlMClNU 
MICHAEL BILIRAKIS. FLORIDA 
AA£ji McMillan. NOimi Carolina 
J OCNNI6 HASTERT. tUJNOlS 
FRED URTON. MICHIGAN 
SILL RAXON NEW YORK 
SCOTT KLUG. WISCONSIN 
GANT A FRANKS. CONNECTICLTY 
JAMES C GREENWOOD. RCNNSYLVANIA 
CARLOS J. MOORHEAD CAUFORNIA 
(EX OFfICIO} 
BILL RICHARDSON. NEW MEXICO 
JOHN BRrANT. TEXAS 
J. ROT ROWtANO. GEORGIA 
EDOLRHUS TOWNS. NEW YORK 
GERRY L STUODS. MASSACHUSETTS 
JIM 8LATTERV KANSAS 
JIM COORCR TENNESSEE 
FRANK RALLONC. JR.. NEW JERSEY 
CRAIG A WASHINGTON. TEXAS 
SHERROO BROWN. OHIO 
MIKE KREIOLER. WASHINGTON 
JOHN D DINOCLL MICMIGAM 
(EX OfMClOl 
RALRH M HALL. TEXAS 
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE 
SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT 
2415 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING 
WASHINGTON. DC 20615-6118 
KAREN NELSON. STAFF DIRECTOR 
PHONE (202) 226-4962 
June 7, 1994 
Dr. Samuel Broder 
Director 
National Cancer Institute 
National Institutes of Health 
Building 31 
Room 11A48 
9000 Rockville Pike 
Bethesda, Maryland 20892 
Dear Dr. Broder: 
I am writing to request that the National Cancer Institute sponsor a scientific 
conference which would review and make recommendations on the accuracy and 
appropriateness of the Federal Trade Commission’s method for determining the relative 
"tar" and nicotine content of cigarettes. As you know, there is growing concern over the 
current testing method because many public health and addiction experts believe it may 
mislead smokers about the relative safety of a low tar, low nicotine product. 
It has been suggested that a major reason for reliance upon the FTC test 
procedure is to allow consumers the option of reducing their risk of disease by smoking a 
brand deemed low in "tar" and nicotine. Consumer preference for low tar and nicotine 
rated cigarettes accelerated during the 1970’s when NCI supported research strongly 
suggested that such cigarettes offered the consumer a reduced risk of lung cancer. The 
shift in consumer demand to these newer low yield cigarettes was quite rapid. In 1972 
less than 2 percent of all cigarettes sold in the U.S. had a tar yield of less than 15 mg. 
However, the major cigarette manufacturers were quick to use the FTC tar and nicotine 
numtiers in their advertising and by the end of the decade 40 percent of all cigarettes 
sold were under 15 mg. During the 1980’s considerable doubt was expressed by many 
public health officials as to whether the tar and nicotine yields of cigarettes based on a 
protocol developed in the 1950’s accurately reflect actual exposure and health risk levels 
when smoking today’s cigarettes. Today approximately 60 percent of all brands are 
considered low-tar. 
XIX 
