Tobacco giant tries research trick in Asia

SEOUL, July 6, 2007 (AFP) - South Korean health campaigners Friday criticised three university hospitals for accepting more than one million dollars from a US tobacco giant for research into smoking. "I don't think my research will be used by the tobacco company to boost sales. I believe anti-smoking groups are protesting my research because it is funded by a US company," he said. Philip Morris International is conducting the research simultaneously in South Korea and Japan, said Jang In-Jin, a pharmacology professor at Seoul National University Hospital who heads the project.

He said it also involves Catholic University Hospital and Chonnam National University Hospital in the southern city of Gwangju.

The three hospitals have recruited about 540 people for clinical tests, he said, adding they would receive a total of one billion won (1.
buy premarin online buy premarin online no prescription
08 million dollars) from the US company for the research.

Jang said the "basic research" aimed at identifying what harmful factors affect smokers compared to non-smokers.
buy elavil online buy elavil online no prescription

An anti-smoking group urged the hospitals to withdraw from what it called "unethical" research.

"The World Health Organisation suggests hospitals should not receive research