“Our Reach Is Wide by Any Corporate Standard”: How the Tobacco Industry Helped Defeat the Clinton Health Plan and Why It Matters Now

Abstract

Contemporary health care reformers, like those who promoted the failed Clinton era plan, face opposition from multiple corporate interests. However, scant literature has examined how relationships between corporations and other stakeholders, such as think tanks and advocacy groups, shape health care reform debate. We show how the 2 biggest US tobacco companies, Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds, and their trade association coordinated in mobilizing ideologically diverse constituencies to help defeat the Clinton plan. Unwittingly perhaps, some reform supporters advanced the tobacco industry’s public relations blitz, contributing to perceptions of public opposition to the plan. As the current reform debate unfolds, this case highlights the importance of funding transparency for interpreting the activities of think tanks, advocacy groups, and “grass-roots” movements.

‘To quarterback behind the scenes, third-party efforts’: the tobacco industry and the Tea Party

“…The tobacco industry waged a major campaign between 1993 and 1994 to oppose President Bill Clinton's healthcare reform efforts, particularly the US$0.75 cigarette tax to help finance it 32. The tobacco industry worked with a broad coalition against the proposed reform, which included CSE and RJR's smokers’ rights groups (coordinated by Ramhurst) and others.…”

“…CSE campaigned against healthcare reform between 1993 and 1994, including media appearances, organising community events and coordinating protests during town hall meetings (see online supplementary table S4) 32 61…”

“What Is Our Story?” Philip Morris’s Changing Corporate Narrative

“…6, 10, 142–144 Another aspect of PMC’s internal narrative—its reliance on YSP as evidence of its responsibility—appeared disingenuous, given that the company dismissed most of its employees’ suggestions for effective ways to reduce youth smoking. Thus, in creating its new corporate narrative, PMC misled both its own employees and the public.…”

Should public health bodies stop commissioning research from market research companies that serve the tobacco industry?

“…In view of the well‐documented use of public relations firms by tobacco companies to foment opposition to tobacco control measures , public health professionals have rightly questioned whether health‐care organizations and governments should employ public relations businesses who also work for the tobacco industry . A strong case has been made for these public good organizations to sever links with any firm engaged by tobacco industry clients and to develop policies prohibiting the awarding of contracts to such companies in the future .…”