The recent failures of the anti-smoking movement covered here haven’t gone unnoticed by the mainstream press. The Associated Press ran an excellent story by Kristen Wyatt today discussing how economic fears have made lawmakers reluctant to pass smoking bans that would adversely impact struggling businesses.
Do read the whole thing, but I want to pull out this quote from Stanton Glantz:
“This whole economic argument is hogwash, scientifically, but that doesn’t mean it’s not politically useful,” said Dr. Stanton Glantz, director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco.
Glantz says reputable studies show indoor smoking bans do not hurt businesses, and he urged politicians to ignore complaints from bar owners that smoking bans will ruin them.
“There’s a growing realization that tobacco control is good for business — all businesses except for the tobacco companies,” Glantz said.
Having recently interviewed one smoke shop owner who laid off four employees following Oregon’s new smoking ban, you’ll have to forgive me for calling bullshit on that one. “All” businesses? We’ve been over this before. One can reasonably debate the affect smoking bans will have on the hospitality business in general, but there’s no denying that businesses specifically oriented toward smokers will lose revenue. These are not big tobacco companies. They’re small, boutique retailers, or owners of cigar bars. They deserve to be counted. For Glantz to claim that their worries are scientifically unfounded tarnishes his reputation as a scientist.
Previously:
Smoking ban stupidity
Last night of smoking at the Horse Brass
Jacob Grier is a freelance writer, barista, mixologist, and magician in Portland, OR. He writes, eats, and drinks a lot. His articles have appeared in The Washington Post, Reason Online, The Oregonian, and other publications.
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Jacob-you may be interested in knowing that Stanton Glantz has a co-authored paper being published in the American Journal of Public Health, Spring 2009. It’s as much garbage as his quotes in this article. See, Glantz has made mega money for his university from Tobacco Control money. In fact, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, who paid over 446 million dollars for smoking bans (as grants to the ACS, ALA, AHA, etc.) has given Glantz’ university tens of millions of dollars. Glantz’ most recent grant ENDED where he was given over 1 million dollars to create “tobaccoscam”, a website to promote the fact that it’s “still” Big Tobacco who says that bans hurt the hospitality industry. Interesting timing, since he needs more money to keep his website going (and keep the Tobacco Control money coming). This RWJF owned, as of March, 35,435,189 shares of J&J stock, was created by the founder of Johnson & Johnson and they BOTH profit from the sales of Nicoderm, Nicorette, Commit (the ONLY over-the-counter smoking cessation products). So they pay Glantz to promote the no economic harm, they buy laws that force, in essence, the American People to buy their product. Best marketing strategy pharmaceutical money can buy, huh? Oh…obesity? RWJF dumped half a billion in grants into that one while they OWN Splenda and a bariatric surgery company called Ethicon Endo. Hmm..NY just “taxed” all pop that’s not DIET (that is, doesn’t contain Splenda).
What a scam. If you’re interested in reading the paper we sent to AJPH, email me and I’ll send you a copy. These people need to be exposed for the damage they’re doing to our businesses while they and their stockholders get rich off our misery.
Thank you Jacob for your thoughts and Pam for her comments, very interesting.
I have put a link here to your blog, I hope that is ok.
http://www.freedom2choose.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=81071#81071
http://www.freedom2choose.info/news_viewer.php?id=901
Colin Grainger has written a great piece also on our frontpage -
The Turning Tide?
Colin Grainger
5th February 2009.
Freedom to Choose has been saying for years that smoker bans are not about health.
Not yours, not mine, not anyone’s.
As most of the developed world enters the recession, proof of our consistent and accurate statements emerge.
In the linked piece we see the evidence. I am pleased to see that the news emanates from the source of all smoker bans, the USA. Yesterday I read that California (California!!) had relaxed their anti-smoking laws and allowed certain bars and clubs to allow smoking indoors again. California! This state, let us not forget, is the anti-smoker capital of the free world. The University of California vomits out more pathetic studies than any other university. Tobacco Control has provided them with billions of dollars over the last 16 years.
Thanks for the link, Mandy! Please do so again any time, and thanks as well for the link to your site.