The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #63219

Jenny White, MSc, MPH, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California, San Francisco, 530 Parnassus Avenue, Suite 366, San Francisco, CA 94143-1390, 415-476-1526, jewhite@itsa.ucsf.edu and Lisa A. Bero, PhD, Institute for Health Policy Studies, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, and Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California, San Francisco, 530 Parnassus Avenue, Suite 366, Box 1390, Library, San Francisco, CA 94143.

Background: In 1991 the National Cancer Institute in collaboration with the American Cancer Society initiated the American Stop Smoking Intervention Study (ASSIST), a seven year, seventeen-state project which was the largest and most comprehensive tobacco control intervention ever undertaken.

Objective: To describe how the tobacco industry responded to ASSIST.

Methods: Tobacco industry documents from the U.C.S.F./Legacy Tobacco Documents Library (http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/) and from industry websites were retrieved and analyzed. LexisNexis (http://web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp) and the Library of Congress’ Thomas website (http://thomas.loc.gov/) were searched for legislative history.

Results: The tobacco industry considered ASSIST a major threat because of its scope, its emphasis on policy change, and its creation of a local tobacco control infrastructure. The tobacco industry planned and implemented a range of strategies, including a media campaign, Freedom of Information requests, monitoring ASSIST coalitions, mobilizing political and other allies, and pre-empting local initiatives. Messages conveyed by the tobacco industry focused on allegations of “illegal lobbying” by ASSIST coalitions. Industry executives were under a great deal of pressure in dealing with ASSIST’s locally-based, policy-focused approach, but their efforts did have a chilling effect on state ASSIST programs.

Conclusion: The tobacco industry mobilized its tremendous resources for a well-coordinated attack on ASSIST. Tobacco control advocates should expect a vigorous, sophisticated response from the tobacco industry to any efforts to implement policy change at the local, state and national levels.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to:
• Describe the aspects of the ASSIST program that particularly concerned the tobacco industry.
• List four strategies the industry used to undermine the ASSIST program.
• List four major messages the industry used to undermine ASSIST.

Keywords: ASSIST Program, Tobacco Industry

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.