Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph No. 7 
together was to establish a comparative basis for consumers choosing among 
cigarettes. The reason the Commission asked the National Cancer Institute 
to commence this review of the cigarette testing methodology was to review 
whether that approach is still the correct approach, and obviously we are 
very interested as an agency in the types of questions that Dr. Cohen's 
research raises, which is how consumers actually use and view these data. 
DR. FREEMAN: Mr. Peeler, is it implied in what you said that the FTC was 
ultimately interested in what was happening to the American public in terms 
of health? Is that implied in what you say, or was it separate from that or 
were you as an agency concerned about what is happening to the American 
people? 
MR. PEELER: If you look at the history of the establishment of the current 
tar and nicotine testing system, it was clearly driven by concerns about 
health. It was clearly driven by the Surgeon General's findings that were 
valid at that time, that lower tar, lower nicotine cigarettes had a health 
benefit for consumers. So, clearly one of the issues that the Commission 
asked this panel to address is whether those health considerations are still 
valid in light of research that has occurred since the 1981 Surgeon General's 
report reviewed those issues and reported them. 
DR. FREEMAN: So, then we would conclude that there is a clear connection 
in the work of this committee, not only to measure appropriately what 
cigarettes contain, no matter what method is used, but the end result that 
we are looking for is how can we help people in America with respect to 
avoiding disease and death, which means we would have to communicate 
appropriately to them in order to accomplish that. Is that a fair statement? 
MR. PEELER: Most of the data that I have looked at indicate that there is a 
large group of consumers who are concerned about tar and nicotine ratings 
because of health reasons. So, clearly if the tar and nicotine ratings are 
communicating that to consumers, the FTC would want to make sure that 
these numbers are accurately delivering that benefit to consumers. 
DR. TOWNSEND: Mr. Chairman, 1 think I am confused at this point because 
what 1 just heard is different from what 1 heard in your opening statement, 
and so 1 pulled out the copy of your opening statement, which says, "The 
primary purpose of this meeting is not to redesign the FTC testing protocol 
but rather to examine the protocol and make suggestions for improvements, 
if warranted." Your opening statement does not really go to actual changes. 
DR. FREF^MAN: You failed to go far enough in the opening statement. We 
posed three questions, the third of which dealt with what 1 was just speaking 
of, in other words, how does this translate to the American public in terms of 
their perceptions in the opening statement. 
DR. TOWNSEND: Ihank you. 
DR. DEBE'FHIZY: I have a question for Mr. Peeler on the relationship 
between the FTC and the Surgeon General's warnings. Could you clarify 
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