Legislating 'Sound Science': The Role of the Tobacco Industry

Abstract

In the late 1990's, in an effort to dispute the link between secondhand smoke and lung cancer, Philip Morris initiated a campaign to legislate sound science. The campaign involved enacting data access and data quality laws to obtain previously confidential research data in order to reanalyze it based on industry-generated data quality standards. Philip Morris worked with other corporate interests to form coalitions and workgroups, develop a data integrity outreach program, sponsor symposia on research integrity, and draft language for two new acts. The tobacco industry played a role in establishing laws that increase corporate influence on public health and regulatory policy decisions.

Keywords: Tobacco industry, scientific evidence, public health, regulatory policy

JEL Classification: G18, I18, K23, K32