Tobacco Documents Online

'Hnfted ~*tates *nate November 17, 1995 WASHINGTON, DC 20510 Mr. Joe Dear Assistant Secretary Occupational Safety and Health Administration Frances Perkins Building, Room S-2315 200 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20210 Dear Mr. 13ear: The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has just completed a report entitled "Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Lung Cancer Risk". The report concentrates on possible health effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). The report represents a detailed examination of the ETS issue, raising serious issues about reports by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) which have advocated strong antismoking measures. CRS research specialists conclude: there is no scientific justification for smoking bans, defacto bans, or regulatory actions such as the proposed rule issued (April 5, 1994) by your agency. The study challenges critical assumptions mado by your agency to support your proposed smoking ban in all U.S. workplaces. CRS also notes that if OSHA had conducted an analysis of all of the available studies on smoking in the workplace, it would likely have found no increased cancer risk due to ETS. The report states, "Hac? nSHA performed a meta-analysis, it seems likely that it would have found no increased lung cancer risk from occupational ETS exposure." As you know, CRS provides objective and impartial research and analysis for Members of Congress. We are interested in your views on this important research study and its implication5 fur all forced smoking bans by the Federal government. Sincerely, I;U