Abstract
From 2001 to 2003, the Oklahoma state government reversed decades of inaction and passed legislation regulating indoor smoking in public places and raising cigarette excise taxes. In Heartland Tobacco War, Michael S. Givel and Andrew L. Spivak recount the story of the uphill battle of activists and government health officials against entrenched industry groups with deep pockets and their allies in the state legislature. Unable to compete with the lobbying machinery and campaign contributions of tobacco companies, anti-tobacco activists (led by an experienced government health official appointed as Health Commissioner in 2001) took their fight to the public and the courts in the early 2000s, effectively applying external pressure to legislators to pass meaningful reforms. Profiles of key lobbyists, activists, and government officials set the stage for the legislative battle, which is recounted through firsthand interviews, opinion surveys, campaign spending reports, government documents, and media accounts. Insider documents from the tobacco industry are another key data source, shedding light on the tactics used by the industry, their lobbyists, and allied organizations (such as the Oklahoma Restaurant Association) to prevent or combat tobacco regulation and taxation.
Effective regulation of indoor smoking in public places and substantial increases in cigarette excise taxes were significant legislative achievements in a conservative state with an unusually high per capita cigarette consumption rate and considerable tobacco industry influence among legislators. The authors provide an engaging account of how activists inside and outside the government can prevail over established and well-funded interest groups by inciting public pressure on lawmakers. Heartland Tobacco War provides a valuable and detailed perspective on the process of promoting and passing public health reform and will be of particular interest to scholars of social movements, bureaucracy, and public health policy.