This Day You Can Smoke, But.. (1987) w/ Sarah Milov
Dec 26, 2024
Sarah Milov, a history professor at the University of Virginia and author of "The Cigarette, A Political History," joins the discussion on the 1987 federal smoking regulations. She explores the rise of non-smokers' rights and how scientific evidence shifted public attitudes towards smoking. The conversation also touches on the social stigma surrounding smoking, the paradox of labor rights concerning smoking, and the cultural reflections on smoking artifacts. Milov humorously contrasts past tobacco executive claims with today's vaping trends.
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A Rising Wave
- The 1987 GSA regulations, restricting smoking in federal buildings, built upon existing trends.
- These included growing scientific evidence on secondhand smoke and the established non-smokers' rights movement.
Smokers as a Minority
- Non-smokers constituted a majority, even during the peak smoking years of the mid-20th century.
- However, the non-smokers' rights movement didn't gain traction until the 1970s, asserting their right to public spaces.
Pre-Science Activism
- Early non-smokers' rights advocacy in the 1970s wasn't primarily science-driven.
- It focused on the right to enjoy public spaces without discomfort, predating scientific evidence on secondhand smoke.