Tobacco Documents Online

V~~.~ THE TOHAC~C~a~~ INST~ITUTE!S~ PUBLIC RELATIONS P'0'LIC~~y~ RELATING TO PUBLIC SMOKING The "public smoking" controversy deals with the effect of cigarette smoke on nonsmokers. It was first promoted in 1971 by the Surgeon General, Dr. Jesse L. S'teinfeld, wh stated, in a, speech: Evidence is accumulating that the nonsmoker may have untoward effects from the pollution his smoking neighbor forces upon hjm...It is high timeto, ban smokingf'romall conf ined publli'cp]Jacesc such as restaurants, theatresa airplanes, trains,, and, buses. . . (',3!21) Although therew~as, ~~ litt~le~ scientific suppor~t~~ fo~r, D~~r~~.~ StelnfeldJ~s statement (,33 )1, it nonetheless spurred a, new anti-smoking camp ign. The nature of the public smoking issue has' placed The Tbbacco Ih~stitut~ein th~e: new position of~ being able~ to~ t~ake~ positive action and its public relations program over the past several years indicates this. Clear evidence of the Institute"s reaction to the public smoking issue is in the speakers program. The speakers stress six mainn points: 1) Anti-smoking laws are unenforceable and represent an unconscionable waste of'law enforcement resources. 2), The "anti-smoking indurstryn is intent on turning 60' million people into "second class citizenst" and criminals. 3) Laws and regulations which restrict andidirect an ind'ivid!ual''s use of' a completely legal product are the products of' the same type of mind which would, seek toadjustthetemperatureof' your~ bath, on the grounds that the "adjuster" knows best. 4) SMoking may be unpleasant to many people, but public smoking is a matter to be settl:ed by common co rtesy, not criminal prosecution. 5) The end aim of' anti-smoking forces is the prohibition of cigarettes. 611 Ini thelastanal'ysis,theissue is freedom, of' cho~ice~„ and each law or regulation which restricts that freedom, no matter how petty the infringement may seem, represents an erosiion,whichcanseldom be repaired (,34)~. ft:

It~~ s~hould~ be~ noted t~h~at~ health is~~ not om~e~ o~f' the main points of the~ lectures. Hea1th~~ ramifications oi'~ pub~lici~ smo~king are~ covered but are treated as a support argument. The message, theref'ore, is easily understood'by smokers and nonsmokers alike. This~~ effor~t~~ t~o~~ co~mmunic~a~te~ wit~h~ the e~n~t~ire~ pub~li~c,i's~ alao~ evident~ in recent advertising of' Th~e~~ Ins~~t~itute.~ Th~~e~ ads~~ address b~oth~~ smoke~~rs~ and nonsmokers. They also delineate between nonsmokers and anti-smokers. The message emphasizes cooperation and!courtesy as universal virtues. The issue has~~ been r~e~duc~ed in, thes~e~ c~ommunic~a~t~ionst~o, one~ o~f' simple- human nature. The print materials which deal with this issue are mare specific than th~e~~ advertising. Studies ar~e~~ cite~d,~,~ s~c~ientis~t~&ar~e~~ quo~ted~~ and~ f'a~llaciesare corrected. The~ final mes~s~a~g~e~~ is~ that~ f'ree~~,~ personal ch~~o~~ice~~ sho~ul~d' not~ b~e~~ infringed~ upon, especia~~lly~~ when th~e~re~~ is no s~~c~i~entif'ic~ ce~r~t~ainty~~ that~ th~e~~ cho~~ice!is~~ harming the pub~lic~.~ S~~iimple~ cour~~t~e~sy~ cani dic~~tat~~e~~ wh~en~ the~~ choice~ to~ smoke should be, m~ad'e~~.~ It should be pointed out that the Institute conveys this messagee in its publications: This leaflet is presented by The Tobacco Institute . in the belief' that full, free and informed discussion of the smoking and'hea~lth controversy isin the public interest and in'the conviction that the controversy must be solved by scientific research. This message sums up the purpose of'The Tobacco,Institute. The Institute does not en:courage smoking or discourage quitting (,3'5 ). It be.lieves, and, acts 'in its belief, that only an informed public can make sound decisions concerning smoking. of The Tobacco Institute is to inform the public. I , ,

v -12- END NOTES 1 ~"'T'I S'cop~~e~~ and Activities," To~~b~~ac~co~~ Insti'tu~~t~e~ pamphlet. 2 Michael C. Jensen, "'Tobacco: A Potent Lobby...and a. Coping Indu,st~ry,,'"~ New York Times, P'e~~b~~ruary~ 19, 1978'~, p~i.~4 3 Richard R. Miller, program planner, The Tobacco Institute, personal interview, April 9, 1979. 4I Cor,orate Public Issues and Their Management, ©ctober 15,, 197 &, p. 2'. 5 "Spokespersons: PR Wave of the Future," C'ommunication, News, Juuly,, 1977 6 Corporate Public Issues, p. 1. 7 Ibid~. , p. 2'. 8 Miller, interview. 9 Jensen, p. 1. 10 ."The Federal Government Chronology of' Irrtervention in the Smoking and Health C'~ontro~~v~ers~~y~, "~ Tob~ac~~co!Institute~ booklet, ~ pi . 1. r ~. 13 Ibid. 14 "Ped'eral Communications Commission and C'igarettes," Tobacco Institute booklet, p. 1. 15. Ibid., 16 "The Federal Government Chronology," p. 3.

or- 17 18 . 19 "T'he Federal Communications Conmission," p. Ibid., p. "The F'ederall Government Chronologyr. m 2'0' Ibid. y pp. 7'-8 . Ib'id., pp. 112-13 . 2!2' Ibid'. 23 William F. Dwyer, "The Cigarette Consumer Controversy,"' a lecture, 19'79', p. 13. 2'4 "The Federal Government Chronology,'f p. 15. 25 Miller, interview. 2'6', Ibid. 2'7 "TI Speaking,Team Presents "0ther Side" Observer, November, 1976, p. 10. 28 Miller, interview. Jensen, p. 4.. 30 Ibid.. 31 Miller, interview 32 "Special Report: Smoking, folder. 33 34 35 Ibid. Corporate Public Issues,. Communications News.. , ~ The~ Tobacco and the Puiblic, "' Tobacco Institute p . it