Clearing The Air

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Question of the day: Do smoking bans and anti-obesity laws go hand in hand?

We know that RWJF's (J & J) promotion of smoking bans is profit motivated as explained here:

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/02/smoking-bans-good-public-policy-or.html

And that RWJF's (J & J) promotion of anti-obesity laws is also profit motivated since Johnson & Johnson owns the sugar substitute product Splenda, as well as Realize brand laparoscopic banding and gastric bypass products.

And since it is common knowledge that most people who quit smoking usually add unwanted body weight, doesn't the promotion of smoking bans lead to the promotion of anti-obesity laws?.......both of which increase profits for Johnson & Johnson and its largest shareholder, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

Resolved: Johnson & Johnson, by way of it's lobbying partner RWJF promotes smoking bans in order to sell Nicoderm, Nicotrol, Nicorette, etc. and the resulting weight gain helps promote the next sugary food bans (anti-obesity laws) which increase sales of Splenda and weight loss surgical products.

Ahhh, ain't government assisted "free-market capitalism" grand?

The problem of course, is that smoking bans decimated the hospitality industry, eliminating businesses and jobs at an astronomical rate:

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2009/03/worldwide-economic-meltdown-and.html

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/01/100-bars-and-restaurants-put-out-of.html

More here:

http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001020

(Peer reviewed and published excerpts):

..report on the scope of relationships between these tax-exempt foundations and for-profit corporations including major food and pharmaceutical companies.

As another instance, which may reflect aligning interests (conflicts of interest), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has played a leading role in promoting anti-tobacco products and maintains Smoking Cessation Leadership Centers and programs, although its endowment is mainly invested in Johnson & Johnson, a leading manufacturer of cessation products, and some board members have been represented on both the Foundation and the company's boards.