Dr. Hilton C. Lewinsohn to W. S. Simpson on Johns-Manville's Smoking Ban (1978)

A one-page Raybestos-Manhattan memo of March 1, 1978, from Dr. Hilton C. Lewinsohn, the company's corporate medical director, to W. S. Simpson, headed "Johns-Manville Bans Smoking in Plants." He sent an abstract (not attached) showing the J-M program "has not been trouble-free." Dr. Alison McDonald of McGill University had told him that their research showed "an excess incidence of lung cancer deaths among non-smoking asbestos miners and millers," which "rather deflates the J/M position." Lewinsohn wrote that "the solution to the problem lies in the elimination of asbestos exposure rather than in attempts at imposing smoking bans."

What it shows

Lewinsohn accepted that cigarette smoke contains "a co-carcinogen which enhances the carcinogenicity of asbestos," but noted "there is nothing to stop employees smoking after work!" He recommended an anti-smoking poster campaign together with "a vigorous training program to teach safe-handling methods and good work practices," then removing cigarette machines and finally banning smoking on company premises. The memo shows a company doctor telling management in 1978 that asbestos itself, not only smoking, was causing lung cancer in non-smokers.

In Johns-Manville's index

Johns-Manville's legal department indexed the Motley 1,000 in 1984. Its index describes this document as follows:

Dr. H.C. Lewinsohn memo to W.S. Simpson, 3/1/78, entitled "Johns-Manville Bans Smoking in Plants." Dr. Lewinsohn encloses an abstract from the Occupational Safety and Health Reporter which indicates that the J-M program has not been trouble free. (Enclosure is not attached.) Dr. Lewinsohn states that Bill Reitze (J-M) has promised to further discuss the J-M program with him. Dr. Lewinsohn has recently learned from Dr. Alison McDonald of McGill University in Montreal that McGill's research indicates an excess incidence of lung cancer deaths among non-smoking asbestos miners and millers, although it is not as great as among smokers. Dr. Lewinsohn states that this "rather deflates the J-M position." Dr. Lewinsohn believes that cigarette smoke does contain a co-carcinogen which enhances the carcinogencity of asbestos, but the solution to the problem lies in the elimination of asbestos exposure rather than in attempts at imposing smoking bans - there is nothing to stop employees from smoking after work. Dr. Lewinsohn recommends a vigorous anti-smoking campaign (with eventual prohibition of smoking on company premises) and at the same time a vigorous training program to teach safe asbestos handling methods.

About this copy

This is document 867 of the Motley 1,000, from the set the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust's records facility certified as true copies, pages CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-004574 to CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-004574.