UC Regents Postpone Tobacco Decision Yet

Source from:  writedit.wordpress.com AgainAugust 4, 2007 08/06/2007

Filed under Tobacco "Research", Biomedical Research Ethics Very late in blogging this - thought I had before when I checked the news - but the UC Board of Regents tabled further discussion and a decision on whether to accept tobacco funding until September. The LA Times reports that the regents heard from former US Justice Department attorney Sharon Eubanks, who led the government's successful 9-year racketeering case against the tobacco industry and urged the regents to ban tobacco funding. "'Why would the University of California permit university researchers to accept money from a group of racketeers who intentionally mislead the public?' she asked. More than 20 other universities across the country have banned the acceptance of tobacco research funds. Eubanks predicted that, as a result, the industry will pump increasing amounts of money into UC." Sadly, given the heightened competition for any research funding, I suspect this is what a lot of faculty are hoping. Enditem