What the Opposition Says

The tobacco industry partners with their allies in the alcohol, hospitality, and gaming industries, smokers’ rights and libertarian groups to work against smoke‐ free policy at every level by proposing weak and ineffective laws. Their hope is to convince the public that “something is being done” about the harm of secondhand smoke, while “accommodating” smokers. The opposition typically appears shortly after the smoke‐free movement goes public or after the law or regulation is passed, and often involves subtle or more blatant intimidation.

The April 2004 Kentucky Supreme Court ruling on Lexington’s smoke‐free ordinance states

• “Where public interest is involved it is to be preferred over property interests.”
• “…the protection of public health … is not only a right but a manifest duty….”

• The Tobacco Industry and their allies conduct misinformation campaigns in an attempt to mislead the public about the dangers of secondhand smoke.
• The Opposition manipulates science by taking information out of context and using old studies, flawed science, anecdotal information, and opinions.

*Excerpt from: Hahn, E.J., et al., Secondhand smoke and smoke‐free policy 2nd Edition. In Press, University of Kentucky: Lexington, Kentucky. p. 12‐13.