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Chelsea Group
Chelsea Group and its CEO, George Benda, contract with Philip Morris
(1993 alone: $200,000) to "perform services related to the Strategic Technical Support Program ('STS')."
Chelsea Group and its representatives often present themselves as independent "indoor air quality" experts, when in fact they are paid by Philip Morris to participate in hospitality industry meetings, attend ASHRAE committee meetings, and testify in communities considering smokefree measures.
For example, in February 1997 George Benda promoted ventilation "solutions" in Honolulu, Hawaii, while a smokefree measure was being debated. When the city council finally voted on the measure, provisions covering restaurants had been dropped. (In 2002, the city council revisited the issue, rejecting a ventilation "solution" and making restaurants smokefree.)
Chelsea Group created "Invironment" to provide technical support to businesses co-opted by Philip Morris's "Options" program. When Anchorage, Alaska, was moving toward a smokefree measure, the Anchorage Daily News reported:
Chelsea Group staffers, including CEO George Benda, Ky Ajayi and Mary Ann Latko have been taking road trips to hospitality conventions and communities working on clean indoor air education campaigns and/or those that have enacted strong smokefree policies. In October 1999 (just months after Missoula and Great Falls, Montana enacted strong smokefree ordinances), the Chelsea Group made a presentation to the Montana Tavern Association entitled "Let's Clear the Air...Don't Let Smoking Bans Burn Your Business."
This week in Anchorage, AK, the Chelsea Group made the same presentation at a trade show sponsored by the Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant and Retailers Association, warning: "There is a movement to ban smoking in all public places in Anchorage — then the entire state. This is how it started in California!!!!!"
Chelsea Group and George Benda frequently comment in professional standard-setting, legislative, and regulatory hearings, in addition to state and local appearances when a smokefree measure is being considered.
Chelsea Group also wrote the Philip Morris "Options" briefing, "Hospitality IAQ Handbook." In a footnote at the bottom of the third page, the book includes the standard health disclaimer:
Options, Philip Morris USA, does not purport to address health effects attributed to environmental tobacco smoke.
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