American Health Foundation

The American Health Foundation (AHF) was founded and directed by the late Dr. Ernst L. Wynder, who was an early scientist to publish information on the health hazards of smoking.

AHF took funds from Philip Morris and its food subsidiary Kraft for research relating to dietary and lifestyle causes of lung cancer. AHF studied tobacco and health issues.(New York Times, 5/13/94; 4/14/94).

AHF was the organization that performed the study of nicotine in cigarettes for ABC's Day One program that claimed tobacco companies "spike" cigarettes with nicotine. Bogdan Prokopchik (?) of the American Health Foundation separated and analyzed the reconstituted tobacco portion of several brands of R.J. Reynolds cigarettes. Reconstituted tobacco ordinarily contains 25% or less the nicotine in regular tobacco. The samples AHF tested had up to 70% of the nicotine that would be found in regular tobacco. Prokopchik said the most likely explanation is that nicotine was added by R.J. Reynolds.(Day One 2/28/94). Associate Director Dietrich Hoffman, discussing cigarette ingredients (many of which are rated GRAS, or "Generally Regarded as Safe" as food additives by the FDA), stated: "Food is eaten, not burned." He noted that angelica root extract is a known animal carcinogen and should not be used in cigarettes.(WSJ 4/14/94).

The Web site of Integrity in Science states,

"From 1974 to 1990 the American Health Foundation received over $163,000 in grants from Philip Morris. (Letters from Philip Morris to Dr. Ernst Wynder, president of the American Health Foundation; available at: http://www.pmdocs.com, Doc ID #s 2015013819, 2015013916, 2021630516, 2021630797, 2021630850, 2021630953; accessed 6/17/03)

Regarding an AHF press kit prepared by the PR firm, Ruder and Finn, William Ruder writes to Philip Morris: “please note that we have handled it so that there is not one single mention of the problem of smoking and health.” (Letter from William Ruder to James C. Bowling, June 19, 1975; available at: http://www.pmdocs.com, Doc ID # 2015013901; accessed 6/17/03)

AHF’s board of directors has included R.H. Adamson from the National Soft Drink Association and executives of Pepsi-Cola and Procter & Gamble. (AHF stationery, 1999)"

AHF changed its name to Institute for Cancer Protection (date of change uncertain)

Tobacco industry documents relating to AHF

 * November 1974 letter from David Davies of AHF to Clifford Henry Goldsmith, President of Philip Morris, thanking him for $20,000 check.

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