Dr. Alan Blum, director of the Center for the Study of Tobacco and Society at the University of Alabama presented “A Call to Action: Countering Tobacco Industry Tactics” at the OU College of Public Health Wednesday.

He later spoke to The Daily’s Jared Rader about a recent court decision against the tobacco industry, and where his struggle against tobacco use is headed.

Q: What is the significance of the federal court decision finding tobacco companies guilty of racketeering being upheld on appeal?

A: “People who have been fighting against tobacco companies have been fighting against a rogue industry. Tobacco companies were convicted in a federal court of racketeering. Judge Gladys Kessler found them guilty in a 2006 in U.S. Justice Department case, and this year, a federal appeals court upheld the ruling that they were guilty of racketeering for 50 years.”

“Cigarettes are consumer fraud. That means tobacco companies are perpetrating fraud on the public. That’s why it’s a different game. Now the industry can’t say we need more research.”

“Soon, we’re going to see how lobbyists do representing people who were convicted in court of law. If a lobbyist is representing a health organization, we’re going to take a look at what they’re representing. We’re going to take a much closer look at the people representing the tobacco industry, because they’re not representing the health insurance of Oklahomans.”

Q: Aren’t many companies guilty of lying?

A: “The difference is tobacco companies were found guilty in a court of law of lying over a 50-year period. All of these companies were found to be deceptions forced upon consumers in a court of law. We’re talking about an issue of fraud. It matters that from now on, when you talk about tobacco companies, you’re talking about people who have been found guilty of racketeering. ... People should know what the cigarette industry really is, and I am no longer going to be able to be sued for libel for saying that. We can no longer afford the luxury of having cigarette companies being treated like any other industry with health costs rising as they are.”

Q: Why is tobacco use still a pandemic?

A: “Basically 45 years after the surgeon general’s report, which was supposed to mark the end of doubt on the effects of smoking, we’re still begging the state legislature to pass pre-emption. The state can pre-empt any local community to pass a bill combating tobacco use. The state says the community can’t be stronger than the state, and that weakens the opportunity for a community to go further.”

“We had 15 million people smoking in 1964 and we still have 15 million people smoking today, and we have younger groups smoking today than ever before. People aged 21-35 have not had a leveling off, but an increase in tobacco use. College students are heavily marketed to in clubs, on Internet sites, etc. College students are even being recruited by the tobacco industry to be cigarette vendors at their fraternities. They used to be focusing a lot on children, now they focus much more on people ages 21-35.”

“Tobacco companies have been on upwards of 35 campuses across the country at career fairs, and when students are looking for jobs, they’re big employers. Universities that host tobacco industries are part of the problem.”

Q: What can health care and public health care practitioners do to fight the tobacco industry?

A: “I think we’ve got to look at the allies of tobacco industry in 2009 and say enough is enough for the legislature, or a university, or any other legitimate pharmaceutical company to be working hand-in-hand with tobacco industry. It’s like the detective taking money from the mob for a [legislator] to take money from a cigarette company in 2009. Smoking is the leading cause of death that is preventable in society. I feel health forces in Oklahoma are rising up and make a point singling out the nine lobbyists who are lobbying the Oklahoma legislature. We call them the ‘Nincompoop Nine.’”

“I think you’re going to see a real stepping up of activism from public health physicians and the community. This is an industry that has [gotten] away with murder for too long, and pharmaceutical chains still selling tobacco products alongside health products will be called out for their irresponsibility. It’s not okay to just beat up on big tobacco; you also have to tackle those companies that work hand-in-hand with them. We need to ostracize tobacco industries and ostracize legislators of other institutions who accept money from the tobacco industry.”

Q: How will we get to zero tolerance for secondhand tobacco smoke pollution in workplaces?

A: “Education is going to come about and people are going to take a look at and realize it’s not a matter of freedom of choice; it’s a matter of how freedom of choice can affect another person. And I don’t think people who smoke have been properly educated either. Students might think it’s safer to smoke filtered cigarettes, but the filter is just another product, it isn’t safe. We need to do a better job of educating people.”

Q: What is the behavior of tobacco industries today? And what will it be tomorrow?

A: ”Their behavior is to let lobbyists handle everything. They fund supported FDA regulations that are just full of loopholes, and they are sitting in the driver’s seat today. They are still an extremely powerful industry, paying legislators and lobbyists.”

“I think we can finally defeat them, but we are many, many years too late. Cigarette companies are going to get sick and die, but right now, we still haven’t defeated them.”