Brainstorming II

This article is part of the Tobacco portal on Sourcewatch funded from 2006 - 2009 by the American Legacy Foundation.

Brainstorming II

This 1980 British American Tobacco (BAT) document muses about what changes may lie in the future for the tobacco industry and how the industry could cope with these changes. Chief among BAT's considerations were thoughts of diversifying as a drug supplier to help fill the ever-growing needs of an increasing population for mood-affecting drugs. BAT mused that the taking of other mood-affecting drugs (valium, tranquilizers, marijuana) might become "socialised like alcoholic drinking and tobacco smoking" and even considered that any future program to supply such drugs would have to include a component to increase the social acceptability of their use:

2. Drug Diversification In a world of increased government intervention, B.A.T should learn to look at itself as a drug company rather than as a tobacco company. The mood affecting drug requirements of the population will in the future increase but the range of requirements will encompass tranquillisers e.g. valium, endorphin/enkephalin (brain opiates), marijuana, nicotine analogues, etc. At present, the taking of many of these drugs is either medically prescribed or regarded as deviant behaviour, but could be 'socialised' like alcoholic drinking and tobacco smoking. The diversification programme would have to include (1) what to administer, (II) how to administer it, and Ill) how to encourage social acceptability. Initial research might be pursued through contracts and followed up through the purchase of a drug company.

Title Brainstorming II
Author: Robin A. Crellin
Document date:19800411
Page count:2
Bates number:109884190/4191
URL:: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/gum24a99

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