Document jgJJ25DJR6QEj1Lo92M486rx2

March 25, 1976 TO: FROM: RE: Mr. Bill Stephenson Tony Biesada Media Coverage - Talcs ^ FYI. Attached are transcripts of follow-up coverage of the asbestos-in-talc story triggered by Dr. Langer of Mount Sinai Hospital. While falling shorjiv of a direct retraction, this amplification of the issue is as close as anyone is likely to come. These broadcasts by the major TV networks came after considerable heavy pressure from Johnson & Johnson. AAB/kek Enc. / cc: Messrs. Nazarewicz^ Stolte AAB I CONFIDENTIAL PFI KA 00000038 ' VJ' .-sr=- *RDfO TV REPOWRTS, ING. 4 1EAST 42nd STREET, NEW YORK', N.Y. 10017, 697-5100 PROGRAM m e v s CE M t R DATE 23. MARCH , 1576 30PM S TA T IO N WH B c - T V C IT Y NEW YORK BROADCAST EXCERPT \ CHUCK SCARBOROUGH : Ashestc" fibers have hoen !mp!i catad in causing cancer In humans', so raosnt reports that some talcum poivders contained ex cessive amounts of asbestos fibers created a wi des pre ad furor; but that report, say the experts at Mt. .7" Sinai Hospita? where the studies were done, has been overblown. Frank Field has a report for us. Frank? & FRANK FIELD: Two weeks ago a news report from Washington revealed that many leading brands of talcum powders for baby and body use contained asbestos fibers. How, the scientists ap pa ren tl y went along with the story at the time, but now t' ey have reservations and they say v.-hat was not revealed was the fact that the talcum powders tested were* several years old and not represent at ive of what is or? tiio sheif today. MAN: Wo know of no evidence that bob as marketed today is in any way dangerous Infant. s ' talcum powders the h f:a 1th- o f the FIELD: Well, where was this story from? Where was this scare? M A N : T.hagjSto^,..has been around since 1970 or so, since -- and 11.' s'ib'eeiifefknof^^thnt occasional talcum powders did contain asbestos.-.'-v.. TheT,. s tar t i d , r e~ i iy , b e e n v c if th rsport that a n.urnbe'i'^pf ,s^ec iuon s were found out in Mt. S 1na 1 to contain asbestos, bitt. what'*4vias not pointed rut in the :n ? >:ia 5 report was that those were old specimens which were used during the development of a method, and that they did not include talcum powders advertised for babies, except for c:vs which had been bought five years ago and which had o n i y : we hoar. only a very small percentage, less than cno percent of the market. OFFICES IN: NEW YORK DETROIT LOS ANGELES WASHINGTON, D. C. CHICAGO AND OTHER PRINCIPAL CITIES Material supplied by Radio TV Reports. Inc. may be used lor Me and releronce purposes only. It may not bo reproduced, sold or publicly demonstrated or eihibitad. CONFIDENTIAL PFI KA 00000039 >f \' FIELD: today. - <',** - :v;;^ V;v- ,- --- s-~.- * ^.f ~* r - < ' / L . . . - - o * - p . ..>r X: ~"jp* '>%r,; r^ r A;/ i>'4>{,'it' Well wh atv Is:.fc.be;s tfcuati on as Far as you k.now-11;r-X^- sto s .^I5,^a \r rSr,;in talcum? eve' th?alti'rashestos has got to be 1o'okd , on a;/regular basis so that any appearnance ' ^ w '.'W f'r" - ' * ' * f* e'rwe j" t ge*"tt s o^ n the m*a'r* k">e' t,? *a*n*d* that's the Food- and Drug.'Administration's Job, to survey talc:uum powderrss *ton bke scuer-e. BRiutt> asn fa:r- asc we. can tell, and especially as far as baby talcum powders ar; concerned, they are clean. FIELD: According to the Mt. Sinai authorities in a release which was given out this afternoon, the research data which lead to the premature story of asbestos in talc should have first been published In a scientific journal and then reviewed by experts before receiving, any pub 1ici^y. That's a to.ug,h' thing to do nowadays.. \ SCARBOROUGH: Frank, what would you suggest for anybody who put the talc away after hearing our story, do with It novi? \ - '"; FIELD: Weil, obviously the Ht. S ina I \author 111 os feel th,a the basis for the original story, as you said before, was a n ^ overblown version of what had happened and that they consldc^it safe to use. .There are many questions yet that remain utltfW: there are other substances found In talc, that have not been thoroughly tested, but at this point I would simply go along with what the good doctor said. SCARBOROUGH: Thank you, Frank. - v 't r :' CONFIDENTIAL PFI KA 00000040 '' 3 ' EAST 42nd STREET, NW YORK,' y . .- -V.:'& !*>.>& \V*\." ' MPAMY' - - r-3" . 'Vsv - ,vr 00177697-5100 program EYEW I T Fi E 3S NEWS STATION" V/A3C-7V DATE MARCH 23, I 97b >3: 20 P ft \ . . _ CITY HEW YORK BROADCAST EXCERPT* - =:V; M\-` - * ROGER GRIMSBY: Several wee Its- ago '.via 'reported' o.n fcndinys \ vi' a.t .Mi. Sinai Hospital that' some bran ds^o-iy; %a-.l-c,um*t>oiwde r had. unsafe levels of asbestos. Today-fit-. STnaf-says--those- f were made over three years ago; the hospital says more re^STfeti: data shows baby talcum poviders to be safe. i i OFFICES IN: NEW YORK DETROIT LOS ANGELES WASHINGTON. D. C. CHICAGO AND OTHER PRINCIPAL CITIES "Material supplied by Radio TV Reports. Inc. may ba used tor file and referenfce purposes only. It may not be reproduced, sold or publicly demonstrated or exhibited." CONFIDENTIAL PFI_KA_00000041 *RAlMp TV REPORTS, IN C&?j~'t ? * q%?< ^ hlrT`Jtf"TC.'"" ' - ^ ^ f W j " .':Z'r- i-!. ... -V-'-'"^^" '- .:v'^i^..- \ -? * ' . ' . ' . .+ *-!+ *',: ' ^ r . ; . . 41 EAST 42nd STREET, NEW YORK, N ^ J ltiO ^ 697-5 00 * * 'MPAN Y PROGRAM MEWS STATION^ V/C 8 S / T V DATE MARCH 23, 1976 6 : h2 PM \ \ CITY NEW YORK -I if.- ;. -,.;.. BROADCAST EXCERPT iSsW-'2-ri,'#."- vWKV- f'w ?x.-*.>v- STEVE BO-SH: F o r i l e ' t h i s p o n t b -w e r V sp c r tn d tM T r e s u l t * of a study conducted a s t u d y v/hi eh shpwsd o y t'/o d o c '.hat n i n e ot .of r : vor SJount t h e 19 \bpdy: S I haijj&'Ms/p f t a l and1 t$aby: pnv/ders t h e y t e s t e d c o n t a i n e d a s b e s t o s f i b e r s . P r o l o n g e d expq.$.ure c e r t a i n forms o f a s b e s t o s can c a u s e c a n c e r . The co m pany's rq ,p ^ y '| I n s i s t t h e i r p r o d u c t s a r c s a f e , but on March 8th Jo h n S t o s s a ^ 7' asked D r . A r t h u r R c l i e o f Mount who worked on t h e p r o j e c t , what S i n a i , one o f t h e ` two I r e s e a r c h e r s '<!%. h i s c o n c i us ions were JOHN 5 T 0 S S E L : A f t e r Che s t u d y w o ul d you use t a l c ? DR, ARTHUR ROLLr.: . Ce rtainly not. 1 thin:; - - t h e r e a r e enough problems with asbestos without using son:; t h i n g s i k s t h i s . I would suggest corn starch as a substitute. BOSH: B ut t o d a y O r. Thomas C h a l m e r s , P r e s i d e n t sod Dean o f Mount S i n a i r e i c a s e d a s t a t e m e n t on the r e p o r t in w h ich he s a i d t h e o r i g i n a l p u r p o s e o f t h e r e s e a r c h v;as t o d e v e l o p m e n t e f f e c t iv e techniques for measuring the prosecco of asbestos In t a l c , the research of the highest q u a lit y . However, the samples a c t u a l l y used had been purchased more than t h r e e y e a r s ago, a f a c t which was not mentioned In the media r e p o r t s . D r . ' C h a Im e rs ^ a js o s a Id any I m p l i c a t i o n in the news s t o r i e s , t h a t most o a l l . c a t t f c p o w d e r c u r r e n t l y on t h e m arket c o n t a i n s a s b e s t o s is is not;'b%^v t h e . oprmlfO % ,4 'Lafe 5Mount r-!C3t Sino' r c o :i < t!>ta <r em th`-i Ph' s D o p a r im.-or C o f - ;r r. baby <n ' : -iro^'T. OFFICES IN: NEW YORK DETROIT LOS ANGELES WASHINGTON, D. C. CHICAGO AND OTHER PRINCIPAL CITIES Material supplied by Radio TV Reports, Inc. may be used lor tile and reference purposes only. It may not be reproduced, sold or publicly demonstrated or exhibited.' CONFIDENTIAL PFI KA 00000042 RADI-T\^REPOllTS,IN/y^i-^rv ------------ - } ? r - . ' j :-'.' ; - 'J- . tn l '.* . '-t * . . % i ^ r _ - f e V r - W > - . ,, ^w^c-a^sfj--V--- ......v'-ft*-.'V. ,, fS-i-C - -, - i 41 EAST 42nd STREET. N E W T O R j^ ^ T ? 1001^697-^5100: MPA NY p r o g r a m ,- JEN 0 'CLOCK NEWS STATION ' WNEV/-TV date MARCH 2*4, 1976 !0 : 30PM OITY NEW YORK 4. . . , , - ' 1-tcr_-. BROAOCASl\ EXCERPT ' \ .' JOHN ROLAND: A couple of weeks ago we told you about a new study from the Mount Sinai Medical 'Center on dangerous, cancer causing asbestos levels In talcum powder. Today, Mountv^ Sinai modified that report somewhat. They said the sampl es^th:^'. t j \ \ - used were up to five years old and therefore did not necessarily represent the talc currently on the market. 9 1 OFFICES IN: NEW YORK DETROIT LOS ANGELES WASHINGTON, D. C. CHICAGO AND OTHER PRINCIPAL CITIES Material upplledbyRadio TV Reoorts. Inc. may be uMd lorHie and roleroneoourpoaeaonly. It may not be reproduced, orsold publicly demonstrated or eh.oitod.' CONFIDENTIAL PFI KA 00000043