Summary Of Martha Derthick's Up In Smoke

Martha Derthick’s Up In Smoke is a detailed look at federal regulation, legislation, and litigation through the lens of the tobacco industry. By providing a detailed chronology of tobacco regulation in the United States, Derthick is able to shed light on the centers of influence connected to the development of policy concerning nicotine and cigarettes. The narrative attempts to illuminate the relative power of industry lobbyists, health administrators, congressmen, and tort lawyers in these dealings. In particular, the book focuses on the power struggle between non-elected officials and private interests groups in determining regulation. Because non-elected officials and interest groups have no formal legislative power, their attempts to influence policy and regulation is often referred to as “subgovernment.” …show more content…
In fact, the true intent of these triangles is to produce a result that is amicable for every group who may be impacted by a certain law or regulation, not sneak some unrealistic and dangerous requirement “onto the books.” As with most issues, tobacco regulation exists at all levels of government: state, local, and federal. Consequently, triangles between the members of subgovernment also operate at each level of government. In the case of tobacco, Derthick concludes that adversarial legalism, a method of establishing policy through court rulings, supplants traditional policy making, referred to as “ordinary politics,” as the primary means of reigning in large tobacco companies. The book begins with a brief overview of the history of scientific research regarding health concerns associated with tobacco smoke. Pre 1960’s research alluded to a connection between smoking and the incidence of cancer, however the weight of these studies was insufficient to alter the market of tobacco. Derthick concludes that the birth of the antismoking movement originates