We’ve been in a similar situation before. Eventually, attitudes and policies changed as the harms linked to tobacco smoke became more widely understood.
Government supported the industry
The US government, as well as governments in other parts of the world, continued to support the tobacco industry until long after cigarette smoke was known to be harmful.
According to historian Sarah Milov, “For most of the 20th century, the federal government was regulating on behalf of tobacco and, in many ways, against consumer protection from tobacco.”
Nonsmokers’ rights were being violated
According to Milov, “What really changes the tide was the idea that nonsmokers had rights that were being violated in the public sphere.”
Everyday people grew increasingly fed up with being forced to breathe smoke-filled air and organized, eventually leading to changes in attitudes and policies around the world.
Smoke is smoke. The evidence of harm is too great to ignore. It’s time to change the tide on wood burning.
