ALERT: Possible Problems With Philip Morris Recall

Calls Indicate Potential Problems May be Worse Than Suspected

One Smoker Lies Near Death on Respirator; Nonsmokers Affected

A doctor in Texas who believes her patient smoked cigarettes made by Philip Morris which might have been contaminated lies near death, and is being kept alive by a mechanical respirator. The doctor suspects that the patient became sensitized to methyl isothiocyanate, MITC, the chemical Philip Morris says was found in its cigarette filters and which triggered the recall. Similar calls are being received by the Texas Health Department which suspects that the problem may be worse than many have supposed. Still another caller to a different state agency claims that his smoking of a Philip Morris cigarette has produced a sudden swelling of his entire lower body his normally size-eight foot will no longer fit into a size twelve shoe and he is fearful as the problem continues to spread upwards towards his lungs.

Philip Morris has publicly announced that it detected only minute amounts of the chemical MITC, and that smoking the contaminated cigarettes causes only temporary wheezing and dizziness. However Mary Beth Genter, a North Carolina State University toxicologist, said that exposure to even tiny amounts of MITC can trigger development of longterm respiratory problems similar to asthma. She said that persons exposed to MITC can become increasingly sensitive to progressively smaller amounts of the chemical, and that the problem could easily affect 10% or more of the population. Because of this sensitizing effect, someone who smokes only a few of the contaminated cigarettes could become so sensitized to the chemical that even a tiny trace of it could trigger severe asthmalike symptoms.

After reportedly smoking cigarettes made by Philip Morris, the woman who now lies near death on a respirator suffered an abrupt onset of an asthmatic-like condition, according to her doctor. However, her doctor says that her condition is not responding to the usual treatments. The doctor is seeking advice from anyone who might know more about treating this unusual problem. In another case the nonsmoking wife of a smoker who apparently used a contaminated Philip Morris brand cigarette found her own asthma suddenly profoundly worse. In a third case a man who smoked a number of Marlboro cigarettes reports that the physician he saw has been unable to diagnose the cause of his sudden severe lower-body swelling.

John Banzhaf, Executive Director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said that his organization is in no position to make any medical determinations, but rather is issuing this tentative alert because of the seriousness of the concerns raised by these calls, and the possibility that there may be some connection between the MITC reportedly in these cigarettes and these reports. Banzhaf said that it is too early to make that judgment, and in any event the evaluation of the evidence should be made by an organization which is clearly impartial and has the requisite medical expertise. However, Banzhaf said that he thought it was important to alert physicians of this possible problem, and to urge them to contact an organization willing to serve as a central clearinghouse for information, at least until some other more permanent arrangements are made. Banzhaf said that the Texas Department of Health, through its Office on Smoking and Health, has agreed to serve as such a clearinghouse, and to receive calls from physicians who suspect that a patient may be suffering from the effect of MITC. The number to call is (512) 458-7402.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, June 6, 1995

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL: John Banzhaf (202) 659-4310

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