I am not now, nor have I ever, been a member of the Communist Party.

I am also not now, nor have I ever, been affiliated with Big Tobacco or their stocks, nor do I have any plans to be.

I also do not here, nor have I ever, tried to claim that smoking is generally good for you, although many find enough enjoyment in it to justify its risks. I do however argue that long-term risk from normal contact with other peoples’ smoke are virtually non-existent. Dissecting Antismokers’ Brains will show clear evidence that the risk of secondary smoke to nonsmokers has been twisted and exaggerated beyond all reason purely as a tool of social engineering.

Lucy Page Gaston of the Anti-Cigarette League, ca. 1900

Even the infamous EPA Report of 1993 testified more to the safety of secondary smoke than to its danger. According to the EPA figures themselves, a nonsmoker living with a smoker for 30 to 40 years would have better than a 99.9% chance of not getting lung cancer from such long-term and constant exposure (based upon the claimed 19% increase over the base rate of .4%).

Now that those preliminaries are out of the way…

This book will provide insight into the forces and motivations driving the activists of what has been called The Great American Antismoking Crusade. It also examines the media-intensive techniques used to mold political opinion and action around this issue. The lessons learned from analyzing the use of these techniques in government hearings, in sophisticated television spots, and on highway billboards may help us all resist future efforts by special interest groups control over our thoughts and behaviors.

Whether it’s a seemingly small issue like smoking, or a larger issue like government spending or international conflict, citizens of a democracy need to learn how to battle foes that have bulging war-chests and control of the popular media.