Tobacco Documents Online

Hot Springs Papers on the Social Unacceptability Issue.

Abstract

This document from British American Tobacco (and found in Philip Morris' files) discusses the decline in social acceptability of smoking and what might be done about it.

The document discusses the long-term threat to the industry of the passive smoking issue, saying there is a "need to provide reassurance to existing smokers and employees and to counter the long-term impact of propaganda from the anti-smoking lobby which threatens to undermine smokers' confidence and to dissuade people not to take up the habit."

The industry also saw that declning social acceptability of smoking was affecting morale among tobacco industry employees and the paper proposes ways to deal with that situation as well, proposing to start "A programme of employee reassurance... which would demonstrate confidence and pride in the Tobacco Industry."

Fields

Quotes

The Australian paper summarises succinctly the current situation in the country (a view also to be found in the papers from the USA, Canada and Germany). It states:

"The main thrust of the anti-smoking movement has beered away from strict health matters to those of a social nature. While not down-grading the seriousness of the smoking and health controversy, we must recognize that even in the face of the failure of medical science to produce definite proof of disease causality the anti-smoking lobby has taken giant strides by concentrating on the dubious claims that sidestream smoke is medically injurious and more particularly on arguments supporting the stance that smoking is a dirty habit.

We believe that smokers are prepared to sublimate axieties about so-called health hazards but that they are susceptible to continued pressures of a social nature."

This concern is underscored by all delegate companies (with the exception of Brazil) who report that in their countries the attack on smoking is moving away from the product towards the consumer and his behavior and that there is mounting criticism of "passive" smoking and its alleged harmful effect on nonsmokers.

All papers identified the need to provide reassurance to existing smokers and employees and to counter the long-term impact of propaganda from the anti-smoking lobby which threatens to undermine smokers' confidence and to dissuade people not to take up the habit.

[From Page 2, Bates No. 2025025458]

...Main areas for positive action were seen to be:

(i) The need (underscored by Australia) for the Industry to undertake a research programme to identify more cleanly those areas of consumer and public attitudes and concerns to that a combative programme of activity could be developed based on factual evidence rather than assumtoins.

(ii) A programm of heightened political lobbying...

(iii) The establishment of an "international clearing house"...responsible for the collation and dissemination of information...

(iv) A programme of employee reassurance...

...make subtle suggestions as to how employees' personal attitudes and behavior could help avoid social confrontations between smokers and nonsmokers...

...Persuade well-known smoker personalities to speak up in favour of their use of tobacco products.

Company

Philip Morris

Author

Haddon, Richard (BAT Public Relations Manager, Tobacco Division)

London

Recipient

Presumed corporate recipient, Philip Morris

Region

Australia

United States

Canada

Germany

Litigation

Stmn/Produced

Named Organization

BAT, British American Tobacco

BW, Brown & Williamson

Millbank

TAC, Tobacco Advisory Committee

TI, Tobacco Institute

Type

REPT, REPORT, OTHER

Subject

Social Acceptability (Social acceptability of smoking)

The industry fought the decline in social acceptability of smoking through public relations campaigns, legislation, etc.

secondhand smoke

secondhand smoke strategy (Corporate strategy to deal with ETS issue)