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AJPH First Look, published online ahead of print Jan 31, 2007
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AJPH.2005.081117v1
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March 2007, Vol 97, No. 3 | American Journal of Public Health 419-427
© 2007 American Public Health Association
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.081117

PROTECTING THE PUBLIC FROM ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

The Creation of Industry Front Groups: The Tobacco Industry and "Get Government Off Our Back"

Dorie E. Apollonio, PhD and Lisa A. Bero, PhD

Dorie E. Apollonio and Lisa A. Bero are with the Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of California, San Francisco. Dorie E. Apollonio is also with the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Dr Lisa A. Bero, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of California San Francisco, 3333 California St, Suite 420, San Francisco, CA 94143 (e-mail: berol{at}pharmacy.ucsf.edu).

ABSTRACT

We investigated how industries use front groups to combat public health measures by analyzing tobacco industry documents, contemporaneous media reports, journal articles, and press releases regarding "Get Government Off Our Back," a coalition created by the tobacco industry.

RJ Reynolds created Get Government Off Our Back in 1994 to fight federal regulation of tobacco. By keeping its involvement secret, RJ Reynolds was able to draw public and legislative support and to avoid the tobacco industry reputation for misrepresenting evidence.

The tobacco industry is not unique in its creation of such groups. Research on organizational background and funding could identify other industry front groups. Those who seek to establish measures to protect public health should be prepared to counter the argument that government should not regulate private behavior.






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Copyright © 2007 by the American Public Health Association