RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Second hand smoke and risk assessment: what was in it for the tobacco industry?
JF Tobacco Control
JO Tob Control
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 375
OP 382
DO 10.1136/tc.10.4.375
VO 10
IS 4
A1 Norbert Hirschhorn
A1 Stella Aguinaga Bialous
YR 2001
UL http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/10/4/375.abstract
AB OBJECTIVE To describe how the tobacco industry attempted to trivialise the health risks of second hand smoke (SHS) by both questioning the science of risk assessment of low dose exposure to other environmental toxins, and by comparing SHS to such substances about which debate might still exist. METHODS Analysis of tobacco industry documents made public as part of the settlement of litigation in the USA (Minnesota trial and the Master Settlement Agreement) and available on the internet. Search terms included: risk assessment, low dose exposure, and the names of key players and organisations. RESULTS/CONCLUSION The tobacco industry developed a well coordinated, multi-pronged strategy to create doubt about research on exposure to SHS by trying to link it to the broader discussion of risk assessment of low doses of a number of toxins whose disease burden may still be a matter of scientific debate, thus trying to make SHS their equivalent; and by attempting, through third party organisations and persons, to impugn the agencies using risk assessment to establish SHS as a hazard.