Volume IV ETS

This article is part of the Tobacco portal on Sourcewatch funded from 2006 - 2009 by the American Legacy Foundation.

This 205-page document from Philip Morris (PM) is a compendium of resources to help allies fight clean indoor air measures. It lists PM's restaurant objectives: "Preempt the need for legislated smoking restrictions," and "Develop allies in hospitality industry [in] opposing legislation to restrict/ban smoking." PM's objective for airlines is "Maintain smoking areas on airlines."

The document contains articles by PM's scientific allies and front groups that claim there isn't enough data available to determine whether secondhand smoke causes illness in nonsmokers, and that ventilation is the best solution to the problem of secondhand smoke. Also, similar to the document in which tobacco industry consultant Peter Sparber suggested casting restaurant workers as carriers and spreaders of disease rather than the victims of secondhand smoke, this document contains articles with titles like "The Role of Aircraft in Transmission of Disease" and "Dissemination of Human Pathogens by Airline Travel." These articles, in effect, blame airplanes, flight attendants and passengers for illnesses that occur as a result of air travel. One statement in the report blames the airlines themselves for secondhand smoke on airplanes:

"Tobacco smoke accumulation aboard aircraft is an indicator of inadequate ventilation. Airlines reduce fresh air intake to economize on fuel..."

Another statement cites unnamed "UK researchers" who conclude airline employees complain about secondhand smoke on their jobs because they may be "disgruntled about a totally unrelated matter":

"When two UK researchers looked at the technology of the aircraft cabin and addressed the human factor as part of the equation, they concluded: 'Industrial experience of Human Factors has on many occasions shown that complaints about an aspect of the work situation such as noise or temperature, become more frequent when the work-force is disgruntled about a totally unrelated matter."

Articles and resources

Related Sourcewatch resources

• Secondhand smoke
• Clean indoor air/ventilation