Tobacco Documents Online

Smoking and Health and the Social Acceptability of Smoking.

Abstract

This 1977 R.J Reynolds (RJR) presentation portrays "the international anti-smoking lobby" (public health authorities, governments and health advocacy organizations) as a global threat to the cigarette industry because the efforts "are aimed at making smokers stop smoking." It also shows RJR's complete denial of the link between smoking and disease, and the company's decision to take a "leadership role" in organizing the global tobacco industry to fight public health efforts to decrease smoking.

In excerpts taken from throughout the document, RJR states,

"These [anti-smoking] efforts, based on scientifically unproven arguments that smoking injures health, present a very serious threat to the industry and RJR throughout the world...The threat to the industry and to RJR is growing worldwide. Smoking is becoming less socially acceptable, smoking is becoming downscale, the incidence of smoking is declining, particularly among young adults...For the first time the Industry is organizing worldwide to fight this threat....It will be extremely difficult to counter this movement, but the economic consequences are enormous. We are prepared to organize and fund whatever efforts are deemed appropriate to protect the rights of the smoker and the Industry..."

The document shows RJR was boxed into a corner by widespread public and government acceptance that smoking is harmful to health, and their inability to refute this:

"The public universally BELIEVES that smoking is harmful to one's health and frequently causes disease and death. The governments of MOST western countries support this position. We cannot openly refute this position without increasing the threat to our ability to market out products..."

The document shows that RJR was not been satisfied with allowing smokers to follow their natural inclinations to stop smoking after receiving information about tobacco's harmful effects. The safety of its customers did not matter to the company even after three of the most world's most respected health authorities (the U.K. Royal College of Physicians, the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Medical Association) declared that smoking was a health hazard causally related to lung cancer, bronchitis and coronary disease.

The document reveals an embattled company--and industry--desperately trying to overcome the forces of human nature, as millions of people attempted to quit smoking, smoking fell out of favor with society, and governments acted on factual health information about tobacco use issued by respected global authorities

User-Contributed Notes

1. tEAM ASSIGNMENT

Fields

Quotes

THE THREAT THE IMPACT OF THE INTERNATIONAL ANTI-SMOKING LOBBY IS INCREASING. THESE EFFORTS, COMBINED WITH INCREASING GOVERNMENT CONTROL AND RESTRICTIONS, ARE AIMED AT MAKING SMOKERS STOP SMOKING. THESE EFFORTS, BASED ON SCIENTIFICALLY UNPROVEN ARGUMENTS THAT SMOKING INJURES HEALTH, PRESENT A VERY SERIOUS THREAT TO THE INDUSTRY AND RJR THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

WHAT IS AT STAKE? WORLD TOBACCO INDUSTRY (1976) U.S. MARKET AVAILABLE WORLD EXCLUDING U.S, TOTAL FREE WORLD UNITS SOLD...

NATURE, SCOPE, AND IMPACT WORLDWIDE --HIGHLY ORGANIZED AND INTERNATIONALIZED WORLDWIDE PHILOSOPHY AND GOAL: To SERIOUSLY CURTAIL, ELIMINATE CIGARETTE SMOKING --ORGANIZATIONAL NETWORK --COMMON METHODS USED

SUMMARY: SOCIAL ACCEPTABILITY WORLDWIDE --ADVANCED FORMS OF LAWS AND SUPPRESSIONS -SWEDEN, UNITED KINGDOM

--SEVERE MARKETING RESTRAINTS AND LAWS - AUSTRALIA, IRELAND, UNITED STATES

--FEW OR MODERATE RESTRAINTS AND LAWS --CANADA, NETHERLANDS, WEST GERMANY

--GROWING CONCERN BUT NOT YET MATURE - BELGIUM, HONG KONG, MALAYSIA, SWITZERLAND, VENEZUELA

SMOKING AND HEALTH ISSUE IN U.S.

1960-1964: ANTI-CIGARETTE PUBLICITY INTENSIFIED. U.K. ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS' "SMOKING AND HEALTH REPORT" PUBLICIZED IN U.S.-- SMOKING "CAUSALLY RELATED" TO LUNG CANCER, BRONCHITIS, AND PROBABLY CORONARY HEART DISEASE.

U.S. SURGEON GENERAL'S REPORT ISSUED - CIGARETTE SMOKING IS A HEALTH HAZARD OF SUFFICIENT IMPORTANCE TO WARRANT APPROPRIATE REMEDIAL ACTION

AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION ENDORSES CIGARETTE SMOKING AS A SERIOUS HEALTH HAZARD • HEAVY PRESS PUBLICITY

[Page14]:

SMOKING AND HEALTH ISSUE IN U.S.

CURRENT STATUS

INDUSTRY POSITION - SMOKING NOT PROVEN TO CAUSE DISEASE

PUBLIC POSITION - MIND CLOSED--CASE PROVEN - SMOKERS AND NONSMOKERS BELIEVE SMOKING IS HARMFUL TO THE HEALTH AND FREQUENTLY CAUSES DISEASE AND DEATH - ANTI-SMOKING GROUPS' ACTIVITIES ACCELERATING

GOVERNMENT POSITION - FEDERAL: CONTINUED PRESSURE - STATE/MUNICIPAL: NEW AND VIGOROUS ACTIVITY

SMOKER AND NONSMOKER CONCERN INCREASING: --MAJORITY OF POPULATION BELIEVE THAT SMOKERS INJURE NONSMOKERS...

[Page 21]:

THREE CURRENT LEVELS OF THE SOCIAL ACCEPTABILITY ISSUE IN THE USA:

SMOKING IS ANNOYING TO OTHERS WHO HAPPEN TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SMOKER, IN OTHER WORDS, SMOKING IS SAID TO BE SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE BECAUSE IT IS DISCOURTEOUS TO OTHERS.

SMOKING IS DAMAGING TO THE HEALTH OF OTHERS WHO HAPPEN TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SMOKER, IN OTHER WORDS, SMOKING IS ALSO SAID TO BE SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE BECAUSE IT IS PHYSICALLY HARMFUL TO OTHERS, THE "PASSIVE SMOKING ISSUE,"

--SMOKING RAISES SOCIETY'S INSURANCE AND HEALTH CARE COSTS BECAUSE SMOKERS ARE [ALLEGEDLY] SICK MORE OFTEN, REQUIRE MORE MEDICAL TREATMENT, AND DIE EARLIER, IN OTHER WORDS, SMOKING IS ALSO SAID TO BE SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE BECAUSE IT IS EXPENSIVE TO OTHERS..

[Chart, Page 25]:

Title : "Cigarette Smokers: A declining minority"

[Page 31]:

SOCIAL ACCEPTABILITY ISSUE IN U.S.: BASIC STATUS AND TRENDS

• SMOKER BECOMING SECOND-CLASS CITIZEN - 42% OF SMOKERS FEEL THIS WAY

• NONSMOKER ENTERING CONTROVERSY - DEMANDING COURTESY--78% OF SMOKERS AND 94% OF NONSMOKERS BELIEVE SMOKERS SHOULD BE MORE COURTEOUS --DEMANDING RIGHT TO " POLLUTION-FREE ATMOSPHERE"--THIS TREND BASED ON ERRONEOUS BELIEF THAT SMOKING IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH OF NONSMOKER MORE ANTI-SMOKING VOLUNTEERS

• INCREASED ACTIVITY AND RESTRICTIONS/LAWS AT STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL FEDERAL BUREAUS AS WELL AS CONGRESS PRESSING FOR MORE SEVERE RESTRAINTS

KEY ISSUES

--Passive Smoking --Encroachment of Government Regulation --Reestablishing smokers' rights --Courtesy --Cost to society

RJR Programs STUDY ON THE SOCIAL ASPECTS OF SMOKING (SOSAS)

Purpose:

--To test the feasibility of the tobacco industry's undertaking long-term, intensive programs on the closely related issues of "passive smoking," restrictions on smoking, and the social acceptability of smoking.

OBJECTIVES

--To achieve a more tolerant, favorable, and understanding public attitude toward smokers, smoking and the entire tobacco community.

--To restore first-class citizenship status to smokers. --To reverse the tide of discriminatory restrictive smoking legislation and regulation

International Committee on Smoking Issues (ICSI) An effort by the tobacco industry worldwide to deal with the anti-tobacco movement.

Social Acceptability: --Assess Current level --Identify factor which have affected this --Examine counter-measures and monitoring mechanisms

SUMMARY

SMOKING AND HEALTH

NO ELEMENT AS FOUND IN CIGARETTE SMOKE HAS EVER BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO BE THE CAUSE OF ANY HUMAN DISEASE.

THE PUBLIC UNIVERSALLY BELIEVES THAT SMOKING IS HARMFUL TO ONE'S HEALTH AND FREQUENTLY CAUSES DISEASE AND DEATH.

THE GOVERNMENTS OF MOST WESTERN COUNTRIES SUPPORT THIS POSITION.

WE CANNOT OPENLY REFUTE THIS POSITION WITHOUT INCREASING THE THREAT TO OUR ABILITY TO MARKET OUR PRODUCTS.

ONLY AFTER GREATLY INCREASED KNOWLEDGE OF THE CAUSES OF THESE BASIC DISEASES CAN WE HOPE TO REOPEN THE ISSUE.

RJR IS TAKING AN INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP ROLE IN INCREASING EFFORTS IN THIS AREA IN A MAJOR WAY.

[Page 45]:

THE ALLEGED INJURY TO THE HEALTH OF NONSMOKERS MUST BE DEALT WITH, SMOKING CANNOT REMAIN SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE IF SMOKERS ARE LOOKED UPON AS "DISEASE SPREADERS,"

- THIS ISSUE IS DEFENSIBLE SCIENTIFICALLY,

- THE MAJORITY OF OPINION LEADERS AND THE PRESS DO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS AN "HONEST" ISSUE. FOR THE FIRST TIME THE INDUSTRY IS ORGANIZING WORLDWlDE TO FIGHT THIS THREAT. IT WILL BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO COUNTER THIS MOVEMENT, BUT THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES ARE ENORMOUS, WE ARE PREPARED TO ORGANIZE AND FUND WHATEVER EFFORTS ARE DEEMED APPROPRIATE TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF THE SMOKER AND THE INDUSTRY.

Company

R.J. Reynolds

Author

Presumed corporate author, R.J. Reynolds

Recipient

Presumed recipient, R.J. Reynolds

Region

United States

Named Organization

American Cancer Society

American Medical Association (physicians group)

Professional trade group representing American physicians.

Action on Smoking and Health, US

Plaintiff

*Council for Tobacco Research-- U.S.A. Inc. CTR (Formerly Tobacco Industry Research Committee (TIRC))

Created and funded by the tobacco industry to award grants to study of the link between smoking and disease. Part of a four decade effort to cast doubt on the links between smoking and disease.

United States Food and Drug Administration

Federal Trade Commission (Enforcement agency for laws against deceptive advertising)

Enforces laws against false and deceptive advertising, including ads for tobacco products. Ensures proper display of health warnings in ads and on tobacco products;collects and reports to Congress information concerning cigarette and smokeless tobacco advertising, sales expenditures, and the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide content of cigarettes.

Group Against Smoking Pollution/Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution? ("GASP)" (Group Against (or to Alleviate) Smoking Pollution)

A not-for-profit corporation founded in 1976 as the California Group Against Smoking Pollution (GASP). Now there are several state branches of GASP around the country.

RJR Nabisco Inc. (Delaware corporation, subsidiary of RJR Nabisco Holdings)

Subsidiary of RJR Nabisco Holdings Corp.

*R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (Cigarette manufacturer (Camel, Winston, Doral brands))

Cigarette manufacturer (Camel, Winston, Doral brands)

TAN (Tobacco Action Network)

Organization created by the tobacco industry to galvanize "grass roots" political action from among those who work in some capacity for the tobacco industry: growers, manufacturers, retailers of cigarettes, etc.

Tobacco Institute (Industry Trade Association)

The purpose of the Institute was to defeat legislation unfavorable to the industry, put a positive spin on the tobacco industry, bolster the industry's credibility with legislators and the public, and help maintain the controversy over "the primary issue" (the health issue).

Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service (U.S. Federal government public health advocate)

The U.S. Surgeon General's office has found since 1964 that tobacco use causes disease in humans.

Civil Aeronautics Board (Ruled on smoking in U.S. airplanes)

Society to Humiliate Aggravate Mortify

Seventh Day Adventists

Womens Christian Temperance Union

Royal College of Physicians (Monitors the quality of Canadian/U.K. medical education)

International Committee on Smoking Issues (ICOSI)

Was formed to address and reverse the global decline in social acceptability of smoking occurring in the 1970s Consisted of the major tobacco manufacturers worldwide, was created to deal with the global decline in social acceptability of smoking. ICOSI was created

Federal Employees For Nonsmokers Rights

Type

REPORT

REVISION

Operation/Project

Countermeasures (Efforts by global tobacco indsutry to restore the social acc)

Through ICOSI, the global tobacco companies worked in concert to undermine public health education about tobacco use, reverse the declining social acceptability of smoking, slow quit rates and preserve smoking as normal and accepted human behavior.

Subject

Countermeasures

Strategies & tactics the industry used to counter public health efforts to control tobacco

health belief

health advocacy group

health claim

health effects

secondhand

secondhand smoke

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