For more than three decades, epidemiologist James Enstrom has labored quietly at UCLA, studying the effect of tobacco smoke on human health. In recent years, his work has challenged the conventional view that second-hand smoke poses a serious health risk.
He calls himself a lone wolf, a maverick and a rebel. His critics call him a turncoat.
Enstrom once worked closely with the American Cancer Society, but today his sponsor is the tobacco industry. Over the last 15 years, he has received $1.4 million plus undisclosed consulting fees from the industry while producing research that supports industry views. One study used the American Cancer Society's database to contend that second-hand smoke was not a serious health hazard.
Now Enstrom has become a symbol of industry influence for activists who support a proposal to bar University of California researchers from receiving tobacco industry money. The regents will take up the issue in May. Mirroring divisions elsewhere in UC, some university regents back a ban, while others oppose it on grounds of academic freedom. The 63-year-old Enstrom maintains that he is simply a scholar in "pursuit of truth."
"If I was so corrupt, how could I survive for 33 years at UCLA?" he asks. "The effort is to smear me and libel me."
Unfortunately for Enstrom, much of his correspondence with the tobacco industry became public during lawsuits filed by government agencies against the companies. Some of his letters are more revealing than he would have wished.
Racketeering case
Seven months ago, his research and correspondence were cited by a federal judge in a racketeering case as evidence of the tobacco industry's manipulation of the scientific process. In January, the ethics of his research were called into question at a public meeting of the UC Board of Regents.
Enstrom, tall, forceful and passionate, believes the proposed ban at UC is aimed personally at him and says he is being vilified by a powerful lobby that places "political correctness" above science. He denies that tobacco money influenced his results, says no one has found errors in his calculations and contends that other studies corroborate his findings.
"It's unfortunate to end up in a racketeering lawsuit for writing an article in a British medical journal," he said ruefully.
University officials have kept their distance from Enstrom but note that he has faced tremendous pressure from his critics.
