Christopher Coggins

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Chris Coggins (full name Christopher Richard Emerson Coggins - listed in some studies as C.R.E. Coggins) was an in-house inhalation toxicologist for both RJ Reynolds Tobacco and Lorillard Tobacco companies. He was training in Europe, and worked in the late 1970s as the Manager of the Inhalation Toxicology and Physiology Group at the Battelle Research Center in Geneva, Switzerland. He moved to the USA in 1984 to work for RJ Reynolds after having been recruited by Frank Colby.

He shifted over from conducting any genuine scientific research in the later '80s and '90s and became a disinformation expert at the time when RJ Reynolds was seeking to establish itself as an equal to Philip Morris in conducting anti-science campaigns, and running disinformation operations. Coggins appears to have taken to this new role with enthusiasm.

Broad career outline

1975-1984 at Battelle Research Center, Geneva, Switzerland


1984-1996 Chief Inhalation Toxicologist at RJ Reynolds.(with Wally Hayes)


1996 - Head of Science and Technology with Lorillard.


Document & Timeline

1979 He was Manager, Inhalation Toxicology and Physiology Group, Battelle Research Centres, Geneva, Switerzland [2]


1984 He has joined RJ Reynolds as the chief inhalation toxicologist.


1996 June 7 Steve Milloy of TASSC is now e-mailing copy, but still using his his CAIS office E-mail (milloy@cias.com). The Email carries a junk-science address under the heading

From: owner-junksci@www.standup.westlake.com
To: junksci-outgoing@www.standup.westlake.com

This is a 9 page document addressed initially to Chris Coggins at RJ Reynolds -- it consisted of the index for the Junk Science web page for the week of June 6 1996.

He is focussing on President Bill Clinton's problems with Paula Jones and linking the scandals to Agent Orange. This is basically expanded headlines plus a smart Milloy comment tacked on, although some items on hazardous waste claims are expanded into short articles.

He also praises Marcia Angell at the New England Journal of Medicine who has published a special article...

... railing about the travesty of the breast implant controversy, including the associated junk science . Of course, I applaud Dr. Angell for taking notice of junk science -- in fact she links junk science with other issues including asbestos, diethylstilbestrol (DES), Benedictin, the Dalkon shield, Agent Orange, Alar-treated apples, radon and electromagnetic fields.

Much later this email was forwarded to Robert Meyne (RJR PR) and also Peggy Carter (Media Relations). [3]

NOTE: Milloy's original email still carries the EOP Group fax number ... so the EOP Group, APCO, and Philip Morris are all behind the Milloy-junk-science scam. He also seems to need RJR approval for his activities.


References