Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand Smoke as a Social Problem

Takeshi Hirayama published the first study that examined the relationship between passive smoking and lung cancer in 1981, concluding that wives of heavy smokers were more likely to develop lung cancer than wives of nonsmokers. This discovery spurred an increase in scientific research on secondhand smoke in the following decades. While many scientists supported Hirayama's conclusions, others countered his claim. The most notable opponents were those funded by the tobacco industry and related businesses.

Scientific findings often gained attention through news media. The sustained interest in secondhand smoke remained in media headlines following claims proposed by nonsmokers' rights groups such as Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights (ANR), the U.S. Surgeon General, and other advocates, in conjunction with counterclaims made by the tobacco industry. While scientific discoveries had an impact on public interest in secondhand smoke as a social problem, it was the media that often transmitted these discoveries, especially from the proliferation of conflicting claims. The argument of secondhand smoke as a public health issue convinced employees of smoking establishments as well as the general public that passive smoking posed a serious health risk. Shortly thereafter, they persuaded policymakers to take legal action against smoking in public places.

Despite the general public's contribution to tobacco control policies, many rejected the scientific findings and did not support public smoking bans. Antagonists presented their opinions through legal, moral, and economic frameworks. First, smokers were upset by bans because they believe smoking is a First Amendment right. Second, establishments that depend on a high proportion of smoking clientele argued that their businesses would suffer from the legal restriction. Similarly, the tobacco industry also fought smoking bans on grounds it would hurt their industry.

In particular, the tobacco industry challenged a 1993 report issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stating that 3,000 lung cancer deaths result from passive smoking each year. This report encouraged many private establishments and communities to pass smoking bans. Representatives of tobacco companies claimed that EPA manipulated scientific findings by selecting only cases that supported their hypothesis. In 1998, U.S. District Court Judge William Osteen sided with the tobacco industry, declaring that EPA did not follow accepted scientific procedures. Nonetheless, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit overturned this decision in 2002 on technical grounds.

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