IU health programs won't take tobacco-linked group's money

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Indiana University's public health programs are joining more a dozen others in the U.S. and Canada pledging not to accept research money from an anti-smoking group backed by the tobacco industry.

The (Bloomington) Herald-Times reports the deans of IU's Schools of Public Health in Bloomington and Indianapolis have both signed the pledge. Others include schools at Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio State and Rutgers.

The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World was created in September with nearly $1 billion from the Philip Morris Tobacco company and says it will support research to help end smoking worldwide.

Indianapolis school dean Paul Halverson says he and the school's faculty couldn't support taking money from an organization with such tobacco industry links.

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Information from: The Herald Times, http://www.heraldtimesonline.com