THE Cancer Research Campaign, Britain鈥檚 second largest cancer charity, is
likely to change its rules to avoid funding research at institutions that take
cash from the tobacco industry. The CRC is meeting other medical charities later
this month to try to draw up new guidelines for researchers. Under these
guidelines, institutions that take tobacco money will risk losing funding from
the charities.
The meeting comes in the wake of the University of Cambridge鈥檚 decision in
July to accept 拢1.5 million from BAT Industries, owners of the world鈥檚
second largest cigarette manufacturer. The money will endow a chair in
international relations named after BAT鈥檚 recently retired chairman Patrick
Sheehy.
When Cambridge accepted the money, the CRC, which gives the university more
than 拢2 million a year to finance cancer research, said it would
reconsider its collaboration (鈥淭he dirtiest dilemma of all鈥�, New
杏吧原创, 31 August, p 12).
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But last week the charity admitted that it was powerless to withdraw its
funding. The CRC has never explicitly required its collaborators or their
institutions to steer clear of tobacco industry money. 鈥淵ou could accuse us of
being naive,鈥� says Gordon McVie, director-general of the CRC.
Although the contracts between the CRC and research institutions lay down
strict requirements about animal welfare, intellectual property and health and
safety鈥攏ot a word is said about tobacco. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing,鈥� says McVie.
鈥淲e鈥檙e embarrassed to find that we鈥檝e no way of dealing with it within our
肠辞苍诲颈迟颈辞苍蝉.鈥�
McVie expects a new code of practice to be drawn up within months, backed not
only by the CRC but by other medical charities as well. They will consult the
institutions they fund and the public. But deciding what is acceptable will not
be easy.
鈥淚deally, there would be no ties with tobacco at all,鈥� says Margaret Swain,
assistant director of research at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, which has
already expressed an interest in developing a code alongside the CRC.
The charities may decide to end all collaboration with institutions that take
money directly from the tobacco industry. But Diana Garnham, general secretary
of the Association of Medical Research Charities, whose members include most of
Britain鈥檚 medical charities, feels that donations are acceptable provided they
are unconditional. 鈥淚f you get into the morality of the way the money was
raised, it gets very difficult,鈥� says Garnham. 鈥淚t comes down to whether strings
are attached.鈥�
When the association next meets, on 15 October, the tobacco industry will not
be the only issue on the agenda. 鈥淧harmaceutical sponsorship is not exactly the
same,鈥� says Garnham, 鈥渂ut there are a lot of similarities.鈥�