Philip Morris paid the National Restaurant Association at least $450,000. Makes you wonder who the N.R.A. really works for, doesn't it?[HOW BIG TOBACCO USES THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY: N.R.A. CASE STUDY] "Our first priority should be to discourage restaurant associations from 'going south' on tobacco," declared tobacco industry lobbyists in 1993. Big Tobacco had already spent ten years trying to block local smokefree measures that reduced their sales and dimmed dim adj. dim·mer, dim·mest 1. a. Lacking in brightness: a dim room. b. Emitting only a small amount of light; faint: a dim lightbulb. their profits. Repeatedly rebuffed at the polls, the industry decided to recruit hospitality organizations--"not necessarily a natural partner," tobacco strategists admitted--to act as Big Tobacco's fronts. "Since we are reliant on the [hospitality] industry to be out front fighting on this issue, it is important that we are able to forge a strong and relevant relationship," Philip Morris noted in a secret memo. To create a "relationship" with restaurant association leaders and staff, Big Tobacco budgeted millions of-dollars for: * huge public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most projects like "Accommodation" and the "Hospitality Coalition on Indoor Air Quality Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) deals with the content of interior air that could affect health and comfort of building occupants. The IAQ may be compromised by microbial contaminants (mold, bacteria), chemicals (such as carbon monoxide, radon), allergens, or any mass or energy stressor " ... * National Restaurant Association political action committees ... * hospitality trade show promotions and sponsorships ... * advertising in state and national restaurant association publications ... and more. Big Tobacco gave almost half a million dollars to the National Restaurant Association in 2000-1. $75,000 of that tobacco money was earmarked for "research on economic impacts of smoking bans." And in time, the N.R.A. released a Deloitte & Touche report claiming smokefree measures hurt hospitality. A claim disproved by over thirty truly independent economic analyses over the past ten years. All of these found that going smokefree has either no effect or a measurably positive effect on hospitality sales and jobs. Big Tobacco's strategic goal? To get restaurant groups to endorse To sign a paper or document, thereby making it possible for the rights represented therein to pass to another individual. Also spelled indorse. endorse (indorse) v. legislation that protects tobacco industry profits--but forces owners to remodel re·mod·el tr.v. re·mod·eled also re·mod·elled, re·mod·el·ing also re·mod·el·ling, re·mod·els also re·mod·els To make over in structure or style; reconstruct. or buy costly ventilation systems ventilation system Public health An air system designed to maintain negative pressure and exhaust air properly, to minimize the spread of TB and other respiratory pathogens in a health care facility protecting no one from secondhand smoke sec·ond·hand smoke n. Cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoke that is inhaled unintentionally by nonsmokers and may be injurious to their health if inhaled regularly over a long period. Also called passive smoke. . You see, not only does Big Tobacco want small business to fight its battles, but also to take on its liabilities. That's why it's worth finding out who state and national restaurant associations really work for. See for yourself. Go online to TobaccoScam.ucsf.edu/target and click "Tobacco Allies & Fronts." |
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