Anti’s bang voor Schwarzenegger
De verkiezing van Arnold Schwarzenegger als gouverneur van Californië heeft de anti-wereld in die staat stevig aan het schrikken gemaakt. Wij onderschepten een e-mail van een nerveus wordende Stanton Glantz, de man die aan de kop staat van de top 10 van anti’s in de VS (en van geldontvangers van de farmaceutische industrie).
Several people have asked what I think about our new governor regarding tobacco.
I think it is going to be a rough ride.
He has appeared on the cover of Cigar Afficianado twice.
In an interview published in the New York Post on June 26, 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger made his position clear on the popular California initiative that bans smoking in all workplaces. Schwarzenegger said he thinks laws that ban smoking in all workplaces have gone overboard, that people should have choice. He indicated he would do it differently by allowing restaurant and bar owners to choose whether their establishments allow smoking.
Most worrisome, Schwartzenegger is relying heavily on former Republican Governor Pete Wilson, who consistently worked to divert funds and water down the program. Progress in reducing smoking in California slowed under Wilson (with an attendant extra 15,000 heart disease deaths).
We discuss this era in great length in our book “Tobacco War,” including how the health groups, led by AHA and ANR, were able to save the program. My guess is that we will see it again, including using the budget problem as an excuse to try and divert the tobacco money again and derail the ad strategies that concentrate on the industry.
