Reed Elsevier's arms trade

doi:10.1136/bmj.39153.580023.80

BMJ 2007;334:547-548 (17 March), doi:10.1136/bmj.39153.580023.80

Editorials

Reed Elsevier's arms trade

Scientific communities must work together to prevent the saleof arms

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In a recent editorial in the Journal of the Royal Society ofMedicine, Richard Smith drew attention once again to the paradoxicaland disturbing association between Reed Elsevier, a huge globalpublishing company, and the international arms trade.¹ Whilepromoting world health through its publications, including theLancet, Reed Elsevier also organises international trade fairsfor the arms industry. By facilitating the sale of armaments,Reed Elsevier is directly implicated in causing untold damageto health. This hypocrisy is well illustrated by Smith's "absurd"example of an imaginary tobacco company that publishes healthjournals to increase tobacco sales. Sadly, his example is neitherabsurd nor imaginary. In 2005, an article in the Lancet reportedundisclosed relations between the tobacco industry and the healthrelated journal Indoor and Built Environment.²

Reed Elsevier's purpose in publishing the Lancet and other healthrelated journals is not to covertly support arms . . . [Full text of this article]

Charles Young, editor¹, Fiona Godlee, editor fgodlee@bmj.com²

¹ BMJ Clinical Evidence, London WC1H 9JR , ² BMJ, BMA House

charles.young@bmjgroup.com

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