Anne Landman's Collection
Public Affairs Division Proposed 1988 Operation Plans and Budget
Abstract
In addition to being a statement of funding, Tobacco Institute (TI) budgets describe in fair detail the strategies, goals and tactics the Tobacco Institute used to undermine public health efforts around tobacco. This 154-page TI budget document from 1988 describes strategies to undermine "fire safe" cigarette legislation. The Institute acknowledges that "the latest data indicate that the trend [in the number of fire deaths related to careless smoking] has leveled off and even increased," and that "careless smoking is still regarded by many as an important cause of accidental fires." Fearing the that the national increase in cigarette-caused fire deaths would raise calls for fire-safe cigarette legislation, the Tobacco Institute started a program wherein the they gave away a grants to hundreds of local fire stations across the country, ostensibly to help with "fire education." The real purpose of the program was to decrease fire service hostility towards the tobacco industry and eliminate calls from fire service organizations for fire-safe cigarettes.
To help further derail fire-safe cigarette legislation, the industry insisted that laws mandating "fire safe cigarettes" infringed on its "trade secret" rights. The Institute funded vast programs to alter public officials' opinions about the importance of trade secrets and to promote the notion that trade secrets are vastly important to the free market, and as such cannot be interfered with.
Despite these vast and well-funded efforts by the industry, substantial progress has been made towards fire-safe cigarettes in recent years. Two events occurred in 2003 that few people are aware of and that demonstrate the progress made on this important public health issue:
Philip Morris settled a burn case in Texas for multi-million dollars... http://www.tobacco.org/articles/category/fires/?mode=listing&records_per_page=25&pattern=grisham ...and New York State adopted rules requiring all manufacturers to sell fire-safe cigarettes by June 2004: http://www.dos.state.ny.us/pres/pr2003/12_31.htm In addition, such laws have been proposed in New Jersey, Illinois http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-coun11.html Maine http://www.bangornews.com/editorialnews/articles/414080_123003firesafecigarett_mhaskell.cfm Canada http://www.smokefree.net/canada_fire/ and Massachusetts http://www.tobacco.org/news/107541.html) In 2000, Philip Morris began using "fire-safe" paper on Merit cigarettes. http://www.philipmorrisusa.com/pressroom/content/press_release/articles/pr_July_12_2000_PMUTLNCPNOAMC.asp
Fields
- Notes
Thanks to Chuck Tauman of Oregon for the above links about progress on the fire-safe cigarette issue.
- Quotes
[From Page TIDN0018044]:
After two years of relative quiet, several events in 1987 moved the cigarette ingredients and "self-extinguishing" cigarette issues back into the public eye.
The Federal Trade Commission announced plans to shut down its tar and nicotine testing labs...And the CPSC [Consumer Product Safety Commission]-coordinated federal study on the technical feasibility of a "self-extinguishing cigarette" will be completed and submitted to Congress...
At the same time The Tobacco Institute's fire prevention program lept by leaps and bounds in 1987. We now have a working relationship with over 225 fire departments in the United States, and we've given grants to over 130 cities and 47 fireservice organizations.
Although the number of fire deaths related to careless smoking decreased in the early part of the decade, the latest data indicate that trend has leveled off and even increased. Even though the death rate remains lower than it was five years ago, careless smoking still is regarded by many as an important cause of accidental fires.
o In the past, as many as 15 states have considered "fire safe" cigarette legislation. To date in 1987 bills requiring manufacture of "self-extinguishing" cigarettes are pending in Massachusetts and New Jersey; a Minnesota bill carries over to 1988. This contrast is due largely to the fact that officials are awaiting the outcome of the federal study.
o Although fire service hostillty to the tobacco industry has subsided, it is far from nonexistent. Many major fire service groups have in the past adopted resolutions in support of "self-extinguishing" cigarette legislation. Although these resolutions are outdated, they may continue to reflect the positions of some of these groups, and may be used to justify lobbying. Meanwhile, The Institute has helped improve relations and has demonstrated that the Industry can act responsibly to help deal with the fire problem...
Anti-smokers argue that the contents of cigarettes should be scrutinized at least as rigorously as those of less controversial products. To industry arguments that the contents of cigarettes are "trade secrets," the anti-smokers repond that public safety is more important than trade secrets, and that no other industry has the same privilege. Similar industry arguments on the "self-extinguishing" cigarette (that a "fire-safe" cigarette, even if feasib le, might not be as appealing to consumers as current cigarettes), have in the past added to fire service hostility toward the industry.
III. Objectives
Demonstrate to legislators, journalists and consumers that cigarette manufacturers act responsibly by using ingredients which have been scientifically scrutinized, and to reinforce the fact that the security of "trade secrets" is a fundamental part of a free market economy.
To demonstrate to key public officals and to fire service leaders that the tobacco industry acts voluntarily and responsibly in fire prevention.
IV. Strategies, Goals and Tactics
Strategy I: Work with manufacturers of other consumer products, and with trade associations and manufacturers representing the ingredients suppliers industry, to raise public awareness of the current rigorous process by which all ingredients, including those in cigarettes, are reviewed. Promote concept that trade secrets are a necessary element of a competitive marketplace.
GOAL: To produce and have published in 1988 15 op-ed pieces by economists on the importance of competition and the role of trade secrets in a free market economy....
6) Support, through a major association of manufacturers, a second economic impact study of the effect on competion of politically-inspired disclosure of confidential Information.
7) Encourage manufacturers of well known products protected by trade secrets to speak out on the negative effects of disclosure of such secrets...
Strategy II: Work with fire officials and, when possible, other public officials ae the state and/or local level to improve the quality and increase the availability of education and prevention programs for fire departments...
Goal
To have working relationships [with fire departments] in 275 localities by January 1, 1989, an increase of 50 from the previous year's goal. A working relationship signifies (1) a TI-sponsored project in place, (2) TI staff contact with local fire service and (3) awareness or involvement of public officials.
- Company
- Tobacco Institute
- Author
- Tobacco Institute Public Affairs Division
- Recipient
- Presumed Tobacco Institute
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