News
Scottish University Facing Information Request from Tobacco Company
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September 1, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
Manufacturer of Marlboro cigarettes calling for access to Stirling University’s research on young people’s smoking habits.
The University of Sterling is battling a tobacco giant’s attempt to gain access to its research into young people’s smoking habits.
Philip Morris International (PMI) – the firm which manufactures Marlboro cigarettes - has submitted a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to Stirling University.
The research, involving thousands of teenagers, examines why they start smoking and what they think of tobacco marketing. Academics said that handing over the information would be a major breach of confidence.
It could also jeopardise future research, academics said.
However, when The Fresh Outlook spoke to Campaign for Freedom of Information, a spokesperson for the group told of how “anyone or any organisation can make a claim under the Freedom of Information act”.
Professor Gerard Hastings, an academic of the University’s Centre for Tobacco Control Research, said: “It is deeply concerning they are even trying to get this data. We are talking about children and this is data the tobacco companies themselves would never be allowed to collect.”
He said: “Most fundamentally this information was given to us by young people in complete confidence. We assured them we would treat it with absolute confidence and that it would be restricted to the research. There is no way that Philip Morris qualifies in that definition.”
“It has enormous implications for academic freedom.”
He said it would be “catastrophic” if the centre lost its fight and was forced to hand over the data.
But Campaign for Freedom of Information, a National group dedicated the right to information said the identity of young people can be withheld - thus ensuring their confidentiality.
The centre, which is part of the University’s Institute for Social Marketing, of which Professor Hastings is director, was established in 1999 by Cancer Research UK and aims to discover why children start smoking. Since its establishment over a decade ago the study has involved 6,000 teenagers and young people aged 13-24.
The department is currently organising a response to the Freedom of Information request which it will pass to the Information Commissioner.
Professor Hastings said the process was taking a lot of time and effort.
A PMI spokesperson said: “PMI made a Freedom of Information request to understand more about a research project conducted by the University of Stirling regarding plain packaging for cigarettes.
“Such government-funded research conducted by public institutions is covered by the Freedom of Information Act, in accordance with which members of the public can request information held by public authorities. With regards to this FOI request, the Scottish Information Commissioner confirmed in his decision of June 30, that we had a legitimate interest in seeking the information and asked the university to respond to the request.
“We are not seeking any private or confidential information on any individuals involved with the research. As provided by the freedom of Information Act, confidential and private information concerning individuals should not be disclosed.”
The spokesperson added that the commissioner had also concluded that the request submitted by PMI was not designed to cause disruption or annoyance to the university.
“A Freedom of Information request is both applicant and purpose blind meaning a persons/organisation’s motives or concerns for the sought after information is kept unknown in order to avoid discrimination,” the Campaign for Freedom of Information spokesperson told The Fresh Outlook.
By Emyr Davies
[Image courtesy of roger4336]
Appalling that tobacco companies want to get such data either (i) to be able to manipulate children and young people far more powerfully than before into tobacco-inducing and cancer-inducing smoking (ii) to find a way of discrediting the research publicly while at the same time using it privately. But Philip Morris are ruthless spreaders of cancer.
This is an outrage! I strongly agree with the university