UC Again Postpones Vote on Taking Tobacco Money

Source from:  By MICHELLE LOCKE, Associated Press Writer Wednesday, July 18, 2007 07/19/2007

University of California leaders who have wrestled for months over whether to ban research funding from tobacco companies again postponed making a decision Wednesday. The issue, delayed in January and May, has been put off until at least September in hopes of reaching a compromise. The proposal before UC's governing Board of Regents, meeting in Santa Barbara in a session broadcast on the Web, was not an outright ban on tobacco money. Rather, it would prevent researchers from accepting money from the industry for tobacco-related research, such as the health effects of smoking. Supporters said such a move is necessary. "Why would the University of California permit university researchers to accept money from a group of racketeers who intentionally misled the public about the dangers of their products?" Sharon Eubanks, a former Department of Justice lawyer who pursued a landmark lawsuit against the tobacco industry, asked regents. Last August, a federal judge ruling in the suit found that the nation's top cigarette makers violated racketeering laws and deceived the public about the health hazards of smoking. But opponents said while they may not like what tobacco does, UC already has rules in place protecting the integrity of research. They argued singling out the tobacco industry could set a trend of banning sponsors based on their popularity and the ban itself would interfere with the academic freedom of researchers to choose a sponsor. The Academic Senate, representing faculty systemwide, has voted not to support the ban. Since 1995, there have been 108 awards from tobacco-related industries for a total of $37 million at UC, compared to $4 billion in research contracts and grants awarded in fiscal 2006 alone. There are now about 19 active grants - all from Philip Morris USA - totaling $15.8 million, mostly for studies on the effects of smoking. Philip Morris has defended their funding, saying researchers work independently, are encouraged to publish in peer-reviewed journals and are required to disclose the source of their money. Enditem