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Tobacco companies gave donations to hospitality industry to keep it on side
May 27, 2002Tobacco manufacturers have deliberately conspired to prevent bars and restaurants from becoming smoke-free zones, finds an analysis of industry documents in Tobacco Control.
Led by Philip Morris, manufacturers gave money to hospitality associations, even creating their own body, to stifle opposition to smoke-free premises, says the research.
They preyed on unsubstantiated fears that profits would be lost by switching to a no smoking policy, promoting the idea that no-smoking sections and expensive ventilation systems would address concerns about the health of patrons exposed to second hand tobacco smoke.
The documents show that the industry began its campaign in the 1970s, intensifying it in the face of mounting evidence of the harmful effects of second hand smoke and the threat of legislation. An industry analyst suggested that legislation would slice off more than a billion US dollars a year of revenue.
When Beverly Hills in California banned smoking in public entertainment venues, the Beverly Hills Restaurant Association succeeded in convincing the authorities to allow smoking and non-smoking sections instead, on the grounds that business had fallen by 30 per cent. In reality, the Association had been created by a public relations firm acting on the industry’s behalf, say the authors. Sales tax figures subsequently revealed that profits had not suffered at all. But this success led the industry to use these tactics elsewhere.
The documents also show that tobacco manufacturers gave donations to more than 65 hospitality groups around the USA, and the International Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes, active mainly in Europe. The industry also allied itself with HOTREC, the European Community lobbying office of 12 national hotel and restaurant associations, which worked behind the scenes with the industry until at least 1996.
The authors say that this strategy provided (and continues to provide) a front for the industry to oppose clean indoor air legislation, and encourage pro-industry voluntary measures that would not affect smoking.
The industry does not appear to have been concerned with the health risks posed to staff. And a second study in the journal provides conclusive evidence of ‘second hand smoking’ among workers in entertainment venues. The lack of hard data on work related exposure to second hand smoke has weakened the case for smoke-free premises in the entertainment and leisure industry, say the authors.
They analysed saliva samples collected at the start and end of the working day/shift, from 42 non-smoking restaurant and bar staff working in venues permitting smoking or with no-smoking sections. These were compared with saliva samples from 50 non-smoking government employees in smoke-free workplaces.
The researchers measured changes in salivary cotinine levels, which reflect the amount of nicotine actually absorbed by the body.
Compared with employees working in smoke free environments, those working in unrestricted or restricted smoking environments had significantly greater increases in their salivary cotinine at the end of their working day/shift. The more permissive the workplace smoking policy, the greater the increase in cotinine.
Workers in premises with unrestricted smoking policies also reported a higher prevalence of respiratory and irritation symptoms than employees in smoke-free workplaces.
The saliva samples of the hospitality workers in this study often exceeded cotinine values of 0.4ng/ml. Previous research has indicated that this corresponds to a lifetime risk of dying from lung cancer of 1 in 1000, and of dying from heart disease of 1 in 100. “These risks fall well within the range of involuntary exposure risks commonly judged unacceptable,” conclude the authors.
British Medical Journal (BMJ)
The documents show that the industry began its campaign in the 1970s, intensifying it in the face of mounting evidence of the harmful effects of second hand smoke and the threat of legislation. An industry analyst suggested that legislation would slice off more than a billion US dollars a year of revenue.
When Beverly Hills in California banned smoking in public entertainment venues, the Beverly Hills Restaurant Association succeeded in convincing the authorities to allow smoking and non-smoking sections instead, on the grounds that business had fallen by 30 per cent. In reality, the Association had been created by a public relations firm acting on the industry’s behalf, say the authors. Sales tax figures subsequently revealed that profits had not suffered at all. But this success led the industry to use these tactics elsewhere.
The documents also show that tobacco manufacturers gave donations to more than 65 hospitality groups around the USA, and the International Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes, active mainly in Europe. The industry also allied itself with HOTREC, the European Community lobbying office of 12 national hotel and restaurant associations, which worked behind the scenes with the industry until at least 1996.
The authors say that this strategy provided (and continues to provide) a front for the industry to oppose clean indoor air legislation, and encourage pro-industry voluntary measures that would not affect smoking.
The industry does not appear to have been concerned with the health risks posed to staff. And a second study in the journal provides conclusive evidence of ‘second hand smoking’ among workers in entertainment venues. The lack of hard data on work related exposure to second hand smoke has weakened the case for smoke-free premises in the entertainment and leisure industry, say the authors.
They analysed saliva samples collected at the start and end of the working day/shift, from 42 non-smoking restaurant and bar staff working in venues permitting smoking or with no-smoking sections. These were compared with saliva samples from 50 non-smoking government employees in smoke-free workplaces.
The researchers measured changes in salivary cotinine levels, which reflect the amount of nicotine actually absorbed by the body.
Compared with employees working in smoke free environments, those working in unrestricted or restricted smoking environments had significantly greater increases in their salivary cotinine at the end of their working day/shift. The more permissive the workplace smoking policy, the greater the increase in cotinine.
Workers in premises with unrestricted smoking policies also reported a higher prevalence of respiratory and irritation symptoms than employees in smoke-free workplaces.
The saliva samples of the hospitality workers in this study often exceeded cotinine values of 0.4ng/ml. Previous research has indicated that this corresponds to a lifetime risk of dying from lung cancer of 1 in 1000, and of dying from heart disease of 1 in 100. “These risks fall well within the range of involuntary exposure risks commonly judged unacceptable,” conclude the authors.
British Medical Journal (BMJ)
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