Clearing The Air

Sunday, February 01, 2009

The days of pharmaceutical nicotine funded smoking ban activists running roughshod influence over lawmakers may be at an end

A round of applause, please, and -- what the heck -- a standing ovation, too, for the Gladstone City Council.

That suburban community's elected leaders appear on the brink of overthrowing the tyranny of the anti-smoking majority....

Gladstone council member Les Smith gets it. "It is really simple," he said. "You have a choice not to go in."

Mainstream media has done little if anything to inform lawmakers or the public about the fact that the real driving influence for the exaggerated need for smoking bans has been the alternative nicotine lobbyists. Namely RWJF and the non-profits they funded (to the tune of $446+ million). RWJF is partner to Johnson & Johnson Company, the manufacturer of Nicoderm, Nicoderm CQ; as well as maker of Nicorette, Nicotrol, and Commit since the Pfizer consumer health buyout. The alternative media (internet) can take full credit for blowing the whistle on the special interest motive and influence behind the rent seeking scam known as smoking bans; as well as the damage to our economy caused by these special interest laws.

Let's hope that we can continue to count on real change by ensuring that the pharmaceutical nicotine funded smoking ban lobbyists are exposed for the charlatans they are and shunned by lawmakers and politicians everywhere.

Update: YANKTON, S.D. (AP) - A legislative effort to ban smoking in most public places statewide was snuffed out in the (South Dakota) state Senate (article link)