Smoking on Airlines. Issue Title. Issue: Restrictions on Smoking on Airlines.

This R.J. Reynolds "Action Plan" describes the company's strategy for opposing the 1988 airline smoking ban, which prohibited smoking on flights of two hours or less for two years in the United States. The plan was to divert attention from the health aspects of secondhand smoke exposure by refocusing the debate onto another topic:


 * "Focus debate on cabin air quality and ventilation, not environmental tobacco smoke"

The document also lists plans to fight a federal law to restrict sale of cigarettes to people over 18 years old. RJR opposed this measure. In arguing against, they planned to change the focus of this issue as well, away from youth smoking: "Focus debate as states-rights issue..."

However, R.J.R. listed a fallback position on this measure wherein they would accept a 16 year old age limit, in case the bill moved forward:

"Fallback Position: Accept minimum federal standard of 16 years of age in return for maintaining federal preemption of health warning labels."

Sample quote from document
ISSUE: Restrictions on smoking on airlines

SUMMARY: Effective April 23, 1988, federal law prohibits smoking on domestic flights of two hours or less for two years...

ACTION PLAN

Overall: Focus debate on cabin air quality and ventilation, not environmental tobacco smoke.

Related Sourcewatch resources

 * Secondhand smoke
 * Secondhand smoke workers compensation cases and deaths
 * Olympic Airways v. Husain(Man dies from asthma attack caused by secondhand smoke on an Olympic Airways flight)
 * Liggett & Myers letter writing campaign against proposed airline smoking rules
 * Smokers Express Airlines

External resources
search_term=airline smoking
 * Award to TransWorld Airways employee by Missouri Division of Workers Compensation for secondhand smoke exposure on the job, 1996