Anne Landman's Collection
Volume IV Ets
Abstract
This 205-page document from Philip Morris (PM) is a compendium of resources to help allies fight clean indoor air measures. It lists PM's restaurant objectives: "Preempt the need for legislated smoking restrictions," and "Develop allies in hospitality industry [in] opposing legislation to restrict/ban smoking." PM's objective for airlines is "Maintain smoking areas on airlines."
The document contains articles by PM's scientific allies and front groups that claim there isn't enough data available to determine whether secondhand smoke causes illness in nonsmokers, and that ventilation is the best solution to the problem of secondhand smoke. Also, similar to the document posted 26 September (entitled Restaurants and Smoking Restrictions, wherein industry consultant Peter Sparber suggested casting restaurant workers as carriers and spreaders of disease rather than the victims of secondhand smoke), this document contains articles with titles like "The Role of Aircraft in Transmission of Disease" and "Dissemination of Human Pathogens by Airline Travel" that, in effect, blame airplanes, flight attendants and passengers for illnesses that occur as a result of air travel. One statement in the report blames the airlines themselves for tobacco smoke pollution on airplanes:
"Tobacco smoke accumulation aboard aircraft is an indicator of inadequate ventilation. Airlines reduce fresh air intake to economize on fuel..."
Another statement cites unnamed "UK researchers" who concluded airline employees complain about secondhand smoke on their jobs because they may be "disgruntled about a totally unrelated matter":
"When two UK researchers looked at the technology of the aircraft cabin and addressed the human factor as part of the equation, they concluded: 'Industrial experience of Human Factors has on many occasions shown that complaints about an aspect of the work situation such as noise or temperature, become more frequent when the work-force is disgruntled about a totally unrelated matter."
PM's long-standing twin strategies of fighting smoking restrictions and claiming ventilation is the best solution to secondhand smoke stand in stark contrast to statements the company now makes on its domestic (U.S.) website:
"Public health officials have concluded that secondhand smoke from cigarettes causes disease... in non-smoking adults...Philip Morris USA believes that the conclusions of public health officials concerning environmental tobacco smoke are sufficient to warrant measures that regulate smoking in public places..." [PMUSA web site, 30 Sept 2003]
Perhaps most importantly, PM now quietly admits that ventilation really doesn't address the health problems posed by secondhand smoke:
"While not shown to address the health effects of secondhand smoke, ventilation can help improve the air quality of an establishment..." (Underlining emphasis added. Found in the last paragraph on the page on PM USA's current web site entitled "Policies, Practices and Positions -- Public Place Smoking." http://www.pmusa.com/policies_practices/public_place_smoking.asp
Interestingly, the above statement regarding ventilation does NOT appear on PM's International web site, http://www.philipmorrisinternational.com/
Fields
- Notes
Thank you to ex-flight attendant Suzette Janoff for pointing out these new statements on PM's web site and how they contrast with PM's past strategies, tactics and claims.
- Quotes
ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE AND RESTAURANTS
RESTAURANTS
Objectives
Preempt the need for legislated smoking restrictions.
Develop allies in hospitality industry in opposing legislation to restrict/ban smoking in their establishments.
Promote "self-regulation" and "accommodation" programs, including separation of smokers and nonsmokers.
[From Page 7, Bates No. 2503002748]:
Solution to tobacco smoke controversy in hospitality areas:
• Proper ventilation
The most effective way of reducing all complaints about indoor air quality in any restaurant space is to have adequate ventilation rates.(4)
Suggested Communications:
WHO: Ventilation experts WHAT: Proper ventilation is the most effective way to reduce indoor pollution
WHO: Restaurateurs and Restaurant Assoc. WHAT: Legislated smoking restrictions/bans in the hospitality trade are undesireable --Such legislation can have negative impact on business.
From Page 44, Bates No. 2503002785]:
ALERT: "SMOKE FREE"
Restaurant owners and food service operators should be alert to efforts by special interest groups who want their issue--total elimination of smoking -- to take precedence over all other considerations. It is likely that these activists will increasingly widen their local focus to organize more international efforts...
EMPTY TABLES, ANGRY CUSTOMERS
Mandated smoking restrictions in restaurants often are prescriptions for confusion and anger. On busy occasions, customers may endure the paradox of waiting for tables in one area while tables in another stand empty...Empty tables and annoyed customers mean lost revenues and lost repeat business...often the crucial difference between an owner's success or failure.
EMPLOYEES: WATCHDOGS AND REFEREES...
[Starting on Page 67, Bates No. 2503002808]:
ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE AND AIRLINES
AIRLINES
Objectives
Maintain smoking areas on airlines.
Create tools for changing attitudes towards smoking in the various transport environments.
Put tobacco smoke in proper perspective for transport environments.
Key Messages
Available scientific data does not support prohibition of smoking on aircraft.
In a comprehensive review of the relevant data on aircraft air quality and nonsmoker health complaints, an environmental specialist concluded that: "the available scientific evidence does not support the prohibition of smoking on commercial aircraft" He also noted that the available data "suggest that factors or substances" other than tobacco smoke "may be major contributors to subjective complaints of discomfort by passengers and flight crew."(1)
In 1991, an Australian specialist in occupational health and preventive medicine concluded: "With regard to the health effects hypothesized for exposure to ETS, scientific data are quantitatively and qualitatively inadequate to estimate hazard and, equally importantly, to justify prohibition of smoking in airlines."
[From Page 72, Bates No. 2503002813]:
When two UK researchers looked at the technology of the aircraft cabin and addressed the human factor as part of the equation, they concluded: "Industrial experience of Human Factors has on many occasions shown that complaints about an aspect of the work situation such as noise or temperature, become more frequent when the work-force is disgruntled about a totally unrelated matter. Since many passengers are known to suffer high anxiety levels concerning flying, it may well be that ETS serves as a focus for complaint."
Solution to tobacco smoke controversy in aircraft:
• Proper ventilation...
Courtesy, mutual respect and separation of smokers and nonsmokers
In a properly ventilated aircraft, both narrow and widebody, designated smoking areas are effective in restricting the tobacco smoke to that area...
[From Page 82, Bates No 2503002823]:
Finally, given the limited and intermittent occasions for exposure, even in the case of compromised individuals and cabin attendants, adverse health effects from exposure to ETS aboard aircraft are highly unlikely.
[From Page 141, Bates No. 2503002882, From an article called "International Spread of Disease by Air Travel" by Royal and McCoubrey]:
Passengers and Crew Members as Disease Carriers
Passengers and crew members are the third mechanism for international disease transmission through air travel...Prepassenger screening for vast numbers of passengers for such diverse illnesses as cholera, tuberculosis, childhood infections and venereal diseases clearly is not tenable...
- Company
- Philip Morris
- Author
- Presumed corporate author, Philip Morris
- Recipient
- Presumed corporate recipient, Philip Morris
Document Images
