TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP US AVOID SMOKING BANS / Authors: ST JOHN JIM # AAA AIRCARE SYSTEMS
Author: Jim St. JohnTitle: [TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP US AVOID SMOKING BANS] / Authors: ST JOHN JIM # AAA AIRCARE SYSTEMS
Title: [TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP US AVOID SMOKING BANS]
Authors: ST JOHN JIM # AAA AIRCARE SYSTEMS
Document Date: 19910405
Document Type: LETTER
Bates Number: TI01430777/0778
Page Count: 2
Collection: Tobacco Institute
Person and Organization Recipients: DAWSON B # TI
Persons and Organizations Mentioned: SEATTLE TACOMA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT; OSHA; NIOSH; TI; WA FOODSERVICE NEWS; WA LICENSED BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION
Request Number: DOJRFPIIIH2C
Date Produced: 02/01/2002
Area: TI STORAGE BOX 6038
Box Number: 350
Case Name: DOJ CIVIL
Date Loaded: 20020614
Date Added: 20030315
View as: TIF * PDF
AAA AIRCARE SYSTEMS
April 5, 1991
Ms. Brennan Dawson The Tobacco institute 1875 1 St. NW Suite 800 Washington, DC 20006
Dear Brennan:
Thanks for listening to my concerns the other morning. I've begun to feel a sense of urgency about getting more facts out to the public that will call into question the prohibitionist stampede that is taking place. I've seen that the herd can be controlled if they become aware that mechanical--instead of political--solutions do exist.
Here's a short story to illustrate how technology can affect policy
Recently I initiated a meeting with facilities planners at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to propose a way to accomodate smokers inside the terminal building. I noticed on a trip there that they were using fans and blowing it all over the place. An outright ban was being considered, partly because they had not been aware of any cost-effective way of controlling smoke.
Banning smoking, although politically trendy, poses some potential economic difficulties for the Port of Seattle (the airport management entity). Seattle is a hub for international carriers serving the Pacific Rim, in competition with San Francisco and Portland for the business. A higher percentaqe of Asian travelers smoke, and must wait in the terminal for long periods for connecting flights. Port planners agreed with the suggestion that it is bad business to treat these travelers inhospitably, making them go outside in the rain and cold.
Asian carriers, who don't subscribe to the current tobacco paranoia, would doubtless be displeased with such a policy toward their customers. Also, Seattle's economy is highly dependent on air travel, and it would be unwise for the Port to be rude to big ticket flyers on Boeing jets.
The Port's industrial hyqenist has reviewed the proposal, and I have followed up with independent documentation that should satisfy him that the filter software performs to OSHA and NIOSH standards. We're expecting approval for a demonstration project in about two weeks, and it that's successful, we'll be creating
P.O. BOX 33816 - SEATTLE, WA 98133 - (206) 367-8600
T10143-0777
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about a dozen controlled environment smoking areas.
I'm a 12 year veteran of the Smoke Wars in various workplace and entertainment environments. To be successful, I have had to convince people-who are in most cases spooked by anti-smoking hype--that high efficiency filtration can remove whatever risks they imagine accrue from ETS. We function as a needed third, mediating party in a highly polarized debate.
I would like to suggest that I could be of professional assistance to TI in the form of testimony before legislative bodies, and also in generating written material on ETS control technology. Enclosed are clips of articles I have contributed to regional trade publications. I'm scheduled as a featured speaker on ETS at the May convention of the Washington Licenced Beverage Association, and have arranged for a May front page article on ETS in the Washington Foodservice News.
The West Coast is the front line of the prohibition battle, and sometimes I feel like I need to spend more time and dollars on this than I can afford on my own hook. I think we can help each other get the facts on the table.
Sincerely,
Jim St. John
T10143-0778