David M. Burns, M.D.
Plaintiffs' Expert Witness
David M. Burns, M.D., is a doctor of internal and pulmonary medicine at the University of California, San Diego Medical School, where he teaches, conducts research, and treats patients. As part of his research at the University, he heads the Tobacco Control Policy Project. Dr. Burns has been active in smoking and health-related research since 1975, when he was chosen to draft the 1975 Surgeon General Report on Smoking and Health. Since that time, he has participated in every Surgeon General Report, as well as several of the National Cancer Institute's Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph series. In total, Dr. Burns has participated in 28 government reports related to smoking and health.
Dr. Burns testified that Monograph 13 represents the consensus of the scientific community and the official position of the U.S. government on the risks associated with smoking cigarettes with low machine-measured tar and nicotine yields. Dr. Burns also testified to the conclusions of Monograph 13 as they relate to this lawsuit -- specifically, that Marlboro Lights and Cambridge Lights cigarettes do not reduce the risks of smoking-related diseases compared to their regular cigarette counterparts for smokers who choose to smoke these "Light" cigarette products. Dr. Burns agrees with the conclusions of the European Union, Canada, and the World Health Organization that the use of the term "light" is misleading and deceptive and that there is no health benefit associated with the use of these products.