Patricia A. McDaniel, PhD, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California San Francisco, 530 Parnassus Ave. #366, Box 1390, San Francisco, CA 94143, 415-514-9342, pmcdanie@itsa.ucsf.edu, Gina Solomon, MD, Natural Resources Defense Council, 71 Stevenson St., #1825, San Francisco, CA 94105, and Ruth E. Malone, RN, PhD, Dept. of Social & Behavioral Sciences and Center for Tobacco Control Research & Education, University of California, San Francisco, Box 1390, San Francisco, CA 94143-1390.

This paper investigates how the tobacco industry attempts to deflect negative publicity and manage public perception of the risks posed by pesticides used on tobacco. Using publicly available internal tobacco industry documents, we identified instances when tobacco pesticides were used improperly or illegally, resulting in negative publicity for the tobacco industry. We found that tobacco companies typically rely on four main strategies when public attention is drawn to their use of potentially hazardous pesticides: 1) deny that there are any health risks, enlisting the help of outside government agencies if possible; 2) emphasize inconsistencies in regulations governing pesticides; 3) dilute the negative impact on one particular company by spreading blame among the entire industry; and 4) urge authorities conducting investigations into tobacco company pesticide practices to be discreet. Tobacco companies’ handling of public perception of pesticides used on tobacco shows that, while they many may no longer deny that cigarettes are carcinogenic, they are still not providing complete health information to smokers. Their vulnerability on this issue suggests that the issue of pesticides used on tobacco is a new front in tobacco control.

Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to

• anticipate tobacco industry strategies for minimizing negative public relations over their use of pesticides;
• develop effective measures to counter such strategies.

Keywords: Tobacco Industry, Pesticides

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.