Pichlarn Research Conference, 1981

The issue of environmental tobacco smoke grew in importance at BAT throughout the 1980s. A document describing BAT's proposed research program for 1982–84, which was prepared after a research conference in Pichlarn, Austria, in August 1981, states:

The broadly based Programme [on sidestream smoke] was approved. Particular points were:

- It was agreed that GR&DC should continue short-term testing (inhalation, Ames [test for mutagenicity] etc) to get a better understanding of the relative specific activity of sidestream and mainstream smoke. This should form a basis for a future decision as to the need, or otherwise, for more extensive biological testing (eg, mouse-skin painting) of sidestream smoke. {1178.01, p. 6}

The fact that BAT was studying the "specific activity" of sidestream smoke indicates that BAT was concerned about studies suggesting that ETS is carcinogenic and that it was attempting to measure the carcinogenicity of ETS in laboratory tests.

The proposed 1982–84 research program also contains a reference to a study of sidestream smoke emissions using different cigarette papers:

- Information on inorganic fibres thought to be available in Canada from prior use in cigar wrapper should be evaluated with respect to the current cigarette sidestream project. {1178.01, p. 6}

As discussed below, one of BAT's primary techniques for minimizing sidestream smoke was to use new cigarette papers.