For years the tobacco industry has attended hospitality tradeshows and expos to promote ventilation alternatives to smokefree policies. But as health experts agree (and even the tobacco industry admits), ventilation systems do not eliminate the health risks caused by secondhand smoke. The goal of the hospitality booth and related brochure, To the Health of Your Business, is to provide factual information to restaurant owners about the health and economic benefits of being a smokefree establishment and to encourage implementation of smokefree venues.

The booth and brochure have already been a huge success, drawing positive feedback and compliments from hospitality tradeshow attendees nationwide. Many restaurateurs are surprised to see such a booth at a hospitality trade show, but seem pleased with the new addition. The booth provides health advocates and restaurant owners the opportunity to dialogue on the benefits of smokefree venues. Even restaurateurs, who might be hesitant to believe that smokefree policies are possible, leave the booth with more factual information and resources about the benefits of going smokefree.

Visitors can also learn about a new website dedicated to dispelling tobacco industry myths about smokefree restaurants and exposing industry tactics to undermine smokefree ordinance.

TobaccoScam was developed by University of California, San Francisco professor Stan Glantz. These two projects, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will go a long way toward educating restaurateurs and others in the hospitality industry about the disinformation campaign being waged by the tobacco industry.

If your coalition is interested in using this booth and the brochure at your local or state restaurant or hospitality trade show, please contact Stephanie Shedd at the ANR Foundation: 510-841-3056.

The brochures are designed with business owners in mind and detail the many benefits of adopting a smokefree policy. The ANR Foundation is pleased to announce our new, specially designed brochure and exhibit booths available for local coalitions and public health advocates to use at hospitality trade shows and in outreach efforts to local businesses in the hospitality industry. In addition to the brochures and booths featuring a photo of a plate of salmon, we also have available brochures and booths featuring a photo of a plate of steak. The brochures are designed with business owners in mind and detail the many benefits of adopting a smokefree policy. Over 31,219 have been disseminated to restaurant owners across the country and the exhibit booths have been a hit at over 17 trade shows nationwide. Health advocates and coalitions may borrow the exhibit booth from the ANR Foundation at no charge. The brochures are available for $2.00 per brochure, plus shipping.

While we don't have all the money that Philip Morris has to promote our project, we hope to inoculate as many business owners as possible to the lies Big Tobacco tells, and to prepare them to go smokefree voluntarily, and/or to support a local ordinance.

Although more and more restaurants and public places are discovering the joys of smokefree air, there are still many places in the U.S. where secondhand tobacco smoke threatens the health of workers and the public.

The hospitality industry is very sensitive about the need to accommodate all potential customers, and so making the switch to be smokefree requires a careful and thoughtful decision. Communities must take the time to educate the public, business owners, elected officials and the media about the dangers of secondhand smoke, share the true information about the positive economic impact of going smokefree and offer assistance in implementation of a smokefree policy.

Philip Morris and other tobacco companies are the only losers when businesses go smokefree, as sales of tobacco products decrease, and tobacco profits go down. That's why they have put considerable time and effort into campaigns to spread false and misleading data on the economic impact of smokefree policies, junk science about secondhand smoke, and offer expensive and ineffective solutions (such as ventilation systems) as an alternative to going smokefree.

In fact, historically the tobacco companies and their public relations firms have been the only voices heard by the hospitality industry regarding the issue of smoking in restaurants, hotels, bars and other places.

This project is funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. For more information, please email Stephanie Shedd, General Manager.