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Constructing "sound science" and "good epidemiology": Tobacco, lawyers, and public relations firms

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  • Ong, E.K.
  • Glantz, S.A.

Abstract

The tobacco industry has attacked "junk science" to discredit the evidence that secondhand smoke-among other environmental toxins-causes disease. Philip Morris used public relations firms and lawyers to develop a "sound science" program in the United States and Europe that involved recruiting other industries and issues to obscure the tobacco industry's role. The European "sound science" plans included a version of "good epidemiological practices" that would make it impossible to conclude that secondhand smoke-and thus other environmental toxins-caused diseases. Public health professionals need to be aware that the "sound science" movement is not an indigenous effort from within the profession to improve the quality of scientific discourse, but reflects sophisticated public relations campaigns controlled by industry executives and lawyers whose aim is to manipulate the standards of scientific proof to serve the corporate interests of their clients.

Suggested Citation

  • Ong, E.K. & Glantz, S.A., 2001. "Constructing "sound science" and "good epidemiology": Tobacco, lawyers, and public relations firms," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 91(11), pages 1749-1757.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:2001:91:11:1749-1757_3
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    Cited by:

    1. World Health Organization, Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, 2005. "The Tobacco Health Toll," University of California at San Francisco, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education qt0kk3c5c6, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, UC San Francisco.
    2. Florentine Petronella Martino & Peter Graeme Miller & Kerri Coomber & Linda Hancock & Kypros Kypri, 2017. "Analysis of Alcohol Industry Submissions against Marketing Regulation," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(1), pages 1-22, January.
    3. Mamudu, Hadii M. & Hammond, Ross & Glantz, Stanton, 2008. "Tobacco industry attempts to counter the World Bank report curbing the epidemic and obstruct the WHO framework convention on tobacco control," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(11), pages 1690-1699, December.
    4. Tess Legg & Jenny Hatchard & Anna B Gilmore, 2021. "The Science for Profit Model—How and why corporations influence science and the use of science in policy and practice," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(6), pages 1-24, June.
    5. Devra Lee Davis & Pamela S. Webster, 2002. "The Social Context of Science: Cancer and the Environment," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 584(1), pages 13-34, November.
    6. Gary Fooks & Anna Gilmore & Jeff Collin & Chris Holden & Kelley Lee, 2013. "The Limits of Corporate Social Responsibility: Techniques of Neutralization, Stakeholder Management and Political CSR," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 112(2), pages 283-299, January.

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