Learning Objectives: Recognize the tobacco growing and manufacturing states as populations disproportionately affected by the politics of tobacco and in danger of being hijacked by existing fear and intimidation.
Abstract: The financial and political interest in tobacco creates a unique legislative culture that greatly impacts tobacco policy development in the tobacco growing and manufacturing states. Not only are the traditional pro-tobacco groups (e.g., tobacco manufacturers, tobacco grower groups, farm groups, retailer associations, hospitality industry, etc.) influential in these states, but leaders in the health and medical communities also tend to perpetuate the pro-tobacco norm instead of being part of the solution to effectively address the increasing public health toll from tobacco. According to the interest group theory of regulation, regulatory agencies are often “captured” by the industry that they are charged with regulating. Thus, health regulatory agencies and health groups who work closely with farm groups may be “captured” by those with strong economic interests in tobacco (e.g., tobacco manufacturers and producers). The net result is that policy may favor the industry at the consumer’s expense. Observational data and media clippings will be used to illustrate examples of fear and intimidation in both health care settings and regulatory agencies that have the potential to undermine legitimate, effective public health efforts to reduce tobacco use and eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke in the tobacco states. This paper also will challenge the commonly held perception that collaboration with farm groups is an acceptable tobacco control intervention. Tobacco control advocates from the tobacco growing and manufacturing states will recognize challenges to effective policy development in these states and identify lessons learned.
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