EDFAction Calls Out American Petroleum Institute for Parallels to Big Tobacco

(Washington, D.C. – July 22, 2015) EDFAction today launched a new multi-week digital ad campaign to answer the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) call for EPA to ignore the science about the health impacts of smog.

The ads highlight the similarities between tactics used by the tobacco industry in the 1970’s and those used by API in its ads today.

“Decades ago, Big Tobacco spent millions trying to convince Americans that smoking was nothing to worry about. Now we’re seeing a massive effort by API to downplay the dangers of smog,” said Elizabeth Thompson, president of EDFAction. “We know that smog, like cigarettes, is a serious and often deadly health threat. Americans should not be fooled by API into opposing the stronger smog standards that will protect their families.”

EDFAction’s ad (below) will run on a wide variety of internet sites.

The U.S. Environmental Protection (EPA) has proposed strengthening our national health-based standards for ground-level ozone, better known as smog, from the current outdated level of 75 parts per billion. Leading medical and health associations, including the American Lung Association and the American Thoracic Society have recommended a standard of 60 parts per billion. 

According to EPA’s analysis, a standard of 60 parts per billion would:

• Prevent up to 7,900 premature deaths each year
• Prevent up to 1.8 million asthma attacks among children each year
• Provide tens of billions of dollars in associated economic benefits each year

EPA’s final standard is expected this fall.