Document g28ErZ92MKmNRzbOx3XgbLg99

;JC '49 2 INTERNAL CORRESPONDENCE UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION Tc fNcme) Oivision Lotion Mr. W. J. Kovack Mining and Metals 38th Floor 270 Park Avenue Division -opy 'o Mr. w. T. Atkinson 270 PARK AVENUE, NEW YCRK, NET/YORK 10017 Jore December 3, 1973 Originating Oept. Medical Department Answering letter date Subject WHAT EVERY EMPLOYEE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ASBESTOS Dear Bill: As I mentioned to you on the telephone, we have read the attached booklet and find it to be acceptable from the medical viewpoint except for the paragraph on page 3 entitled, "Now About Smoking." The second sentence in that paragraph reads as follows: "On the other hand, the asbestos industry workmen who do not smoke cigarettes--and who never have smoked regularly--show no greater incidence of bronchogenic cancer than the average man-on-the-street who does not smoke." I phoned Mr. William B. Reitze, Manager of Accident Prevention and Industrial Health at Johns-Manville. I questioned this statement and asked for supporting medical literature. He referred to the work of Dr. Irving Selikoff. Since Dr. Selikoff's work is questionable at best, it is open to criticism; and more than likely this statement cannot be justi fied. Even if we assume that such a statement is true, it may be misleading to the employees who may ignore the fact that heavy asbestos exposure leads to other conditions such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. We have the same complaint about the statement on page 10, first para graph, where they restate that "...you have no greater chance of getting bronchogenic cancer than the average person not occupationally exposed to asbestos who does not smoke." Very truly yours. JJW:BA Attachment XU J John J. Welsh, M.D. r 5 '973 M&M Relations UCC . 013055