The Data Didn’t Lie but Tobacco Executives Did!
My professional career was launched at a state-level public health agency where I was part of a small team that led Oklahoma’s anti-tobacco movement. For thirteen years, I worked alongside thousands of allies to collect and analyze data to pass public policies that would reduce tobacco use and improve health. In How to Make the World Add Up, Tim Harford’s recap of the tobacco industry’s deceptive marketing practices [1] triggered both nostalgia about my time spent doing that work alongside many incredible and caring professionals and anger that the problem persists today. Having trustworthy data was instrumental in making the case that moved the needle toward positive change. While the data didn’t lie, the tobacco executives sure did.
I believe this was the beginning of today’s era of disinformation, which was kickstarted with Darrell Huff’s book, How to Lie with Statistics [2]. As Christians, what does a book like this say about the condition of society’s hearts? Did it sell millions simply so we, the readers, could outsmart the bad guys, or did we, the readers, unwittingly become the bad guys ourselves? Are we purveyors of misleading information? As the world’s greatest propaganda machine, social media has significantly contributed to the problem of fanning the flames of misinformation [3].
Thanks to the revelation of the tobacco industry documents in the 1990s, we now know that major retailers spent billions falsely convincing the public that nicotine was not addictive. Yet behind closed doors, they admitted the truth to one another. Tobacco companies were working hand in hand with expert scientists to purposely addict people through additives [4]. In addition, they manufactured research so they could “prove” their lies. False spiritual teachings follow a similar pattern as bad leadership begets bad leaders. When an R.J. Reynolds executive was asked if he smoked cigarettes, he responded, “Are you kidding? We reserve that right for the poor, the young, the black, and the stupid” [5]. Surely God’s grace ran a bit thin as these industry snake oil salesmen performed the largest national gaslighting experiment ever; their relentless drive for money reflected the darkness of their hearts.
But the perspective of indigenous Natives who, still today, use tobacco ceremonially brought a different slant [6]. While smoking reduced this vulnerable and already slim population, traditionalists saw tobacco as a gift from the creator for prayer and supplication. Used this way for centuries, giving up tobacco would have been akin to Christians giving up the Bible. Cultural battles were flamed by the industry’s product, American Spirit because it was advertised as natural tobacco and featured an indigenous person on the label. The spirit of division grew larger within tribal communities as Christian Natives adopted the opinion smoking is dangerous to the user and others nearby through secondhand smoke. At the same time, traditional leaders were willing to bet their health to retain their religious customs [7]. In Oklahoma, the irony is that most tribal nations are financially supported by revenue generated from smoke shops and casinos. At one point in my early career, before going into public health, I was a tribal employee whose salary was underwritten by these smoke shop profits.
These experiences revealed just how important it is to be a critical thinker. Always consider the source. The tobacco industry was scrupulous in sowing fear and doubt to create power and profit. The same tactics are used by the gun lobby. Similarly, tough-on-crime policies are routine rhetoric during election years, but research has proven that harsher sentences do not deter criminal behaviors, especially those that are rooted in drug addiction and mental health.
Our civilization is at a crossroads. Author Mark Twain said it best that, “Truth is stranger than fiction because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn’t” [8]. What we see happening today are regressive behaviors. Cancel culture dictates that we demolish those who are different than us. I believe one of the biggest challenges facing church leaders is the ability to disciple people to reject the unhealthy tribalism that is poisoning our culture, so we can embrace loving our neighbors across political, racial, cultural, regional, and ideological lines [9].
Anyone can be duped. Harford described in his book that even physicians didn’t initially want to snuff out tobacco! As responsible and educated Christians, we have a higher calling to rise above the rhetoric to discern what we believe, what is God-honoring, and what reflects his unconditional love for all the kingdom’s children. While I am no longer actively working in the tobacco control field, I am proud to have answered the call to love and serve my neighbors by responsibly utilizing statistics to help reduce tobacco use in Oklahoma from 28.7 percent in 2001 to 15.6 percent in 2022 [10]. God willing, the numbers will continue to decline even more so more people can live healthy lives free from disease.
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1. Harford, Tim. How to Make the World Add up: Ten Rules for Thinking Differently about Numbers. London: The Bridge Street Press, 2021.
2. Huff, Darrell. How to Lie with Statistics. New York: Norton, 1993.
3. Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s Fascinating Interview With Piers Morgan, n.d. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYV5glYwCH8.
4. Jeffrey Wigand: The Big Tobacco Whistleblower, n.d. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_-Vu8LrUDk
5. “Industry Documents Library.” Accessed February 8, 2024. https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/.
6. Stearns, Ami E., Andrew L. Spivak, and Michael S. Givel. “Behind the Smokescreen: Native American Tobacco Use in Oklahoma.” International Quarterly of Community Health Education 33, no. 3 (2013 2012): 305–318.
7. “Traditional Tobacco and American Indian Communities in Minnesota – MN Dept. of Health.” Accessed February 8, 2024. https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/tobacco/traditional#:~:text=Tribal%20methods%20and%20ingredients%20differ,addictive%2C%20and%20has%20no%20additives.
8. Twain, Mark. Following the Equator: A Journey around the World. Ecco travels. New York: Ecco Press, 1992.
9. Rankin, Dr Wes. “Challenges Churches Face Today.” Nwiba. Last modified October 15, 2020. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://www.nwibaptist.com/single-post/challenges-churches-face-today.
10. “Data Show Smoking Prevalence in Oklahoma Continues to Decline.” Health Department. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://oklahoma.gov/health/news—events/newsroom/2023/ok-smoking-decline.html.
About the Author
Jennifer Eckert
Fundraising director, people connector, believer in second chances, fights poverty, supports justice reform, lives a life integrated with Matthew 25.21 responses to “The Data Didn’t Lie but Tobacco Executives Did!”
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Hey Jennifer. Thanks for sharing your post and your own personal story that this reading brought up. I’m curious about how the work and research you are doing now integrates with the crossroads that we are at as a culture?
Hi Ryan, thanks for reading. My work today is in the throes of cancel culture. But I work with prisoners, so one could say that society threw them away a long time ago. “Lock ’em up, throw away the key,” or “Three strikes, you’re out!”
However, there is light in what God is doing behind razor wire. Lives are indeed being transformed through restorative Christian programs like Prison Fellowship (my employer) But the greater challenge is changing the fear-based thinking of Christians in the free world – in the church and everyday community.
For many, grace is applied by different standards, and sadly, prisoners reentering society are often not afforded Jesus’ loving grace they learn from the example of Christians who teach programs inside prisons. We have a lot of work to do to teach people how to love their neighbors.
Jennifer, I appreciate how your post had an intergration to it that was compelling. Your description of the impact of tobacco use to themselves and others was supported by the numbers, you then connected it to faith and your work to promote change. Thank you for being part of the solution in the work you did to bring down tobacco use. In your current work do you see similar connections of statistics, faith and practice?
Hi Diane, thank you for the constructive feedback. I currently work for a prison ministry and I volunteer with a different prison ministry, so I spend a lot of time in prison. It is where I am closest to Jesus and see the embracing power of his love and mercy.
Honestly, I am disappointed in the lack of data about people in prison. Statistics do exist, but they are limited in scope and depth, mostly, focusing on recidivism. However, that is not even the “right” question.
If I use the analogy of a prison as a hospital, both are places where people go to get well. We don’t judge the success or failure rate of a hospital based on the number of people that return as we judge the efficacy of prison programs. We know that someone may get well in prison or hospital, but they become sick again upon release because the outside environment doesn’t provide the resources needed for success.
While Christians lead in the number of in-prison programs available, much more is needed for those reentering society. Sadly, a lot of the fresh and tender healing done inside prison gets unraveled upon release from punitive laws and judgmental treatment by Christians and non-Christians. It is rooted in fear. We have a lot of work to do to learn how to truly love our neighbors.
Hi Jennifer, thank you for your work and sharing your story.
In reading your post, I’m reminded of how wicked humanity can be, full of lies and deception for the love of money.
The correlation between smoking and lung cancer is well known now – but do you see other correlations today that are proven but riddled with manipulation?
Hi Christy, great question. Gun control and Big Pharma, are two areas in which data is manipulated to lean in the direction of those who stand to profit. Much of that can be seen if you follow the money.
Hi Jennifer, thank you for your post. I enjoyed reading your post because it is meaningful and reflective.
Your commitment to helping your community and lowering tobacco use in Oklahoma shows people matter to you. The big drop in tobacco use rates that you have helped achieve shows how important it is to use data and the commitment of leadership to make a difference. If there was one thing you wanted to accomplish while with your previous employer, what would that be?
Shela, what a beautiful question! I continue to be bothered by the fact that tobacco is a legal product, yet, in my heart, I know that making it illegal would grow the black market. Alcohol prohibition didn’t work.
I wish we could have strengthened our laws in Oklahoma (they are better than before but far from ideal). The tobacco industry continues to evolve its “nicotine delivery devices” to things like vapes, and smokeless tobacco in pouches similar to tea bags. In other countries, they even add nicotine to water and toothpaste that children use. The notion is if they can addict people to nicotine (in any form) while they’re young, the industry will profit off that person for much longer.
To me, that industry is nothing but blood money. It is an emotional response but we have the numbers to back up the reasoning. Thank you again.
Thank you Jennifer!
Jennifer
I did not think about the connection with tobacco and Native Americans, I know they use peyote in their ceremonies. As I think of drugs and alcohol, I question what kind of a job is the church doing in discipling people on how to cope without forming addictive habits? Are we being the support that people need so they don’t have to turn to alcohol, drugs, shopping, porn, and/or food to cope with stress? This also makes me ask what the ancient Israelites did to cope with their day-to-day stressors?
Hi Jeff, I read your comment to my husband. GREAT question about how Israelites managed stress. I had never considered that, but now I wonder, too. I feel that generally speaking, training coping skills might have alleviated many divorces, eliminated criminogenic thinking/behaviors, etc. We have such a broken and bruised society. In my line of work, I hear many stories. It is heartbreaking how little we have learned from generations past. All we need is love! (yes, I sang that tune).
Jennifer,
Thank you for a great post. You asked the rhetorical question about the soaring book sales of “How to Lie with Statistics” and what it says about society’s heart. “Are we purveyors of misleading information?” That is a fundamental question you bring up. Interestingly, I have been having discussions related to this with my daughter as she reads “Fahrenheit 451.” Bradbury was seemingly prophetic in the way he anticipated misinformation, media bias, and cancel culture. Do you think you developed a better understanding of how numbers are used to influence from your time in the tobacco control field? If so, what pointers do you have to others in trying to be more alert?
Hi friend, I will have to check out Fahrenheit 451. I have definitely learned how to spot credible sources or not, although AI will make it more challenging.
Sometimes it is as simple as following the money or asking who wins and who loses to discern. The bigger challenge is having the time to dig deeper. In a world where many operate by reading only headlines, we exhaust ourselves such that we don’t have the energy left to question or dig deeper.
For me, I have learned to limit my information intake to certain sources that I trust such as the AP News or NPR for everyday info. But I go to think tanks and places like the Pew Foundation for more specific insight. I also spend less time on social media.
The more I fill my head with God-honoring information from credible journals, scriptural guidance, etc., the less space there will be for dark data. Blessings.
Jennifer, great work on the anti-tobacco industry. Thank you for that.
You write, “I believe one of the biggest challenges facing church leaders is the ability to disciple people to reject the unhealthy tribalism that is poisoning our culture, so we can embrace loving our neighbors across political, racial, cultural, regional, and ideological lines.”
I wonder if there are any statistics – or data – that might help in that mission? What do you think?
Hi Debbie, good question. I think…stay tuned! This regression into tribalism is finally reaching the interest of stakeholders who have the means to conduct such research. What is there now is just the beginning.
Hi Jennifer! Thank you for your essential work in this field. I have always contended the tobacco industry was full of deceptive practices, but ultimately, the responsibility lies on the critical thinker. You touched upon how we, the public, can be the guilty party by being the acceptable receivers of misinformation. I am curious during your time of employment there, how much attention and consideration was given to the critical thinker population?
Hi Daren, to clarify, when you say critical thinking population, who are you thinking about?
We collaborated regularly with major state agencies, universities, hospitals, physician groups, and researchers. We constructed and operated massive strategic plans with measurable systems change endeavors, addressing both policies and practices. As an example, tobacco questions are now part of medical intake forms that weren’t there before.
My employer at the time was the State Department of Health, so we had ready access to quality state and national-level epidemiological data from ourselves and stakeholders, none of whom were connected to tobacco money.
Ours was more of a battle of communicating truth over fiction, which was very hard. The tobacco industry had billions to spend to market lies while we had limited funds to run programs and maybe a smidge left for marketing the truth.
While the state agency was secular and I was not Christian at the time, I always knew that what the industry did was wrong. Today, I struggle with those who are Christian, yet they work for tobacco companies. Blessings to you and your family.
Jennifer, Thanks for the work that you were, and currently are, involved in. You obviously have a heart for justice and compassion.
The question that I would have is how might Christian non-profits (churches, parachurches etc), who have to raise funds, avoid the pitfalls of misinformation?
Hi Graham, to avoid pitfalls, I recommend creating business rules for fundraising that are rooted in best practices. Non-profit and church rules are generally very similar but may have a few small differences. Also, monitor IRS changes (or your tax agency in Canada), especially with rules around planned giving. In the U.S., those laws fluctuate annually.
One thing my church is working on now is updating our gift acceptance policy. Many churches don’t even have one, but they should as a form of risk mitigation. Here’s why.
In Oklahoma, a nearby church received a very generous gift of 10 acres of land last year. The Trustees accepted it with gratitude, only to learn the soil was toxic. It cost them $5MM to clean the soil to basic government standards. A well-thought-out policy would have considered all the possibilities of donations ranging from money to assets (even the motorized scooter that the nice little family gives, which may/may not work).
In another case, a generous congregation member gave $25K to “name a church parking lot.” That church placed a large sign with his name on it, but a few years later he committed a serious crime and was sentenced to a long prison term. Because the church didn’t have an ending date on its naming rights policy, they didn’t feel compelled to remove his name, which was a constant reminder of the problem.
Churches and traditional non-profits need to have a robust book of fundraising procedures so that anyone stepping into the role after you can know how to safely keep things going, enabling the real business of building disciples for Christ without distraction. Blessings to you.
Graham, in hindsight, this answer may not have been the intent of your question. Let me know if that is the case. When I think of possible misinformation in church or parachurch fundraising, I would still recommend going to the source – the guiding agencies so you can ensure solid protections are in place to avoid financial or fundraising mishaps.
No problem, thanks for circling back. I was thinking about how churches and Non profits use stats to raise funds. I should have been clearer. In reporting and promoting, I’m sure there’s a temptation to use stats favourably.