Tobacco Scam: Smokefree Restaurants: Ventilation Hoax

Why does Big Tobacco sic ventilation "consultants" on the hospitality industry? It's all part of a political strategy to protect tobacco sales.

1. Big Tobacco seeks to downplay secondhand smoke's serious dangers by treating it as a minor factor in general "indoor air quality."

2. To derail simple and cost-free smokefree measures, Big Tobacco wants the hospitality industry to pay for costly ventilation systems.

3. Ignoring health dangers, Big Tobacco safeguards its own profits and leaves the hospitality industry legally exposed.

Big Tobacco wants you! (Gas mask extra)...

With pressure building against workplace smoking, Big Tobacco's PR experts looked for a way to put a positive spin on secondhand smoke, the single most dangerous indoor air pollutant most Americans will ever encounter. The answer:

We should refocus our efforts against smoking restrictions legislation and regulation to a general promotion of comprehensive indoor air quality review and improvement.

— Philip Morris

To block smokefree measures, Big Tobacco decided to promote ventilation and address the "inconvenience" of secondhand smoke — but not its deadly health effects.

The Tobacco companies that sponsored or funded ventilation initiatives — including Pholip Morris, Brown & Williamson and British American Tobacco — failed to mention that filter systems cost businesses much more than simply going smokefree. As a secret internal memo remarked, it's all part of Big Tobacco political strategy to "Promote improved ventilation as the best solution and a better approach (for Big Tobacco) than smoking restriction legislation."

The strategy also included blowing smoke at the business press:

"Bringing in a lot of fresh air can help reduce the concentration of secondhand smoke and provide a more comfortable environment for everyone," says Brendan McCormick, manager of media relations for Philip Morris USA. "The comfort of the non-smoker is what's at issue." Indeed, the company has been lobbying city councils and state legislatures to draft laws encouraging the use of ventilation as an alternative to smoking restrictions...[But]...we don't in any way address the health effects of ventilation." says Thomas M. Ryan, manager of media programs for Philip Morris.

— Business Week May 5 2001

Big Tobacco's ventilation strategy has also infested the internet. But, cautioned by its attorneys, Big Tobacco and its shills stay clear of any health claims. As a Philip Morris flack interjected in the May 2001 Business Week article:

"We don't in any way address the health effects of ventilation," says Thomas M. Ryan, manager of media programs for Philip Morris.