Historian and ethicist Nigel Cameron discusses his article, "C. Everett Koop's fearless fight against the tobacco industry," drawn from his biography of the former U.S. surgeon general. He recounts how C. Everett Koop, initially facing ridicule and expected to be ineffective, strategically used the 1982 Surgeon General's report on smoking to dramatically reshape his public image and intensify the fight against Big Tobacco. Nigel details the pivotal press conference where Koop forcefully presented the report's findings, overshadowing his superiors, declaring smoking "society's chief cause of preventable death," and refuting industry claims. This event marked a turning point, transforming Koop's relationship with the press, establishing his "bully pulpit," and escalating what Koop viewed as an "all-out war" against the tobacco industry's "sleaze," fundamentally altering the government's stance on smoking.

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C. Everett Koop's defining stand against the tobacco industry

The Podcast by KevinMD