The politics of local tobacco control

Article Abstract:

During the 1970s, a grass-roots nonsmokers' rights movement emerged. Groups such as Americans for Nonsmokers Rights formed because it was believed that local legislators might be more responsive to constituents, and less responsive to contributions from tobacco interests. The tobacco industry had always been very effective at state and federal levels, but had ignored the local level. In response to the successes of the antismoking campaigns, the tobacco industry organized new strategies to counter local opposition, including ''front'' organizations, ''grass roots'' smokers' associations, and pseudo-business coalitions. The tobacco industry moved aggressively and surreptitiously against local antismoking measures. Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds, the major American manufacturers, use major computer databases, public relations firms, and sophisticated mail and telemarketing techniques to further their cause. Case studies of tobacco industry involvement at the local level in several cities in California are presented. In contrast to the centralized and well-coordinated efforts of the tobacco industry at the local level, nonsmokers' rights groups and local chapters of voluntary health agencies are true grass-roots campaigns. Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights is one national group helping nonsmokers at the local level. When the health community takes a strong stand, the tobacco industry loses. Health advocates need both a strong local community effort and sympathetic political leaders to defeat the tobacco industry. In an editorial in the October 16, 1991 Journal of the American Medical Association, the Surgeon General Dr. Louis W. Sullivan supports the effort to thwart the tobacco industry's efforts to subvert antismoking efforts, and to prevent the continuing tragedy of lives lost to the effects of tobacco. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Case studies, Political aspects, Antismoking movement

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Removing the incentive to sell kids tobacco: a proposal

Article Abstract:

Tobacco companies should be deterred from recruiting children to smoking by removing the economic incentive. Tobacco companies lose revenue as a result of smokers who die or quit smoking. Most individuals start smoking during adolescence, so children are often the target of cigarette advertising campaigns. The companies that sell Marlboro and Camel brand cigarettes, two favorites among adolescent smokers, employ characters in their advertising campaigns who appeal to children. State laws prohibit the sale of cigarettes to minors, but these laws are not enforced strictly. One solution would be to penalize tobacco companies economically for selling cigarettes to children. Tobacco companies would have to pay more taxes on the profits gained from new smokers. Companies could avoid these taxes by discontinuing advertising campaigns aimed at children or discontinuing sells to retailers who sell cigarettes to children.

Column, Prevention, Smoking and youth, Youth smoking

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New tobacco industry strategy to prevent local tobacco control

Article Abstract:

The tobacco industry has developed a new strategy to defeat and repeal tobacco control ordinances in California. These ordinances consist of different types of legislation to protect nonsmokers from exposure to secondhand smoke. The first strategy of tobacco companies was to organize smokers into opposition groups. They also used professional public affairs and political campaign firms to organize and carry out their efforts. These included monitoring developing ordinances and organizing local opposition. Different front groups were used to conceal the involvement of tobacco companies. The tobacco companies also used various strategies after an ordinance is passed to encourage repeal. Health care professionals and government officials so far have been successful in defeating the tobacco companies' efforts.

Political activity, Passive smoking

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