Doubt Is Their Product: How Industry's Assault on Science Threatens Your Health

The tobacco industry has used doubt to compete with the body of fact that exists in the minds of the public and to establish a controversy. David Michaels argues that product defense consultants have skewed the scientific literature, manufactured and magnified scientific uncertainty, and influenced policy decisions to the advantage of polluters and the manufacturers of dangerous products. This has delayed action on specific hazards and constructed barriers to make it harder for lawmakers, government agencies, and courts to respond to future threats. Michaels suggests that the regulatory system can be restored by taking the politics out of science and that concern for public safety should guide regulatory policy.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 17 January 2024
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Doubt, according to a former cigarette executive, is our greatest asset, as it serves as a powerful tool to compete with the body of factual information that exists in the minds of the general public. It also creates opportunities for controversy and debate. In this thought-provoking exposé, David Michaels uncovers the deceptive tactics employed by the tobacco industry, leading to the establishment of a multi-billion dollar industry that is actively undermining public health safeguards. Product defense consultants, he argues, have played a significant role in skewing the scientific literature, manufacturing and amplifying scientific uncertainty, and influencing policy decisions to favor polluters and manufacturers of dangerous products.

To maintain a cloud of confusion about the hazards associated with global warming, second-hand smoke, asbestos, lead, plastics, and numerous other toxic substances, industry executives have resorted to hiring unscrupulous scientists and lobbyists to dispute scientific evidence regarding health risks. By doing so, they have not only delayed necessary action on specific hazards but have also erected barriers that make it more challenging for lawmakers, government agencies, and courts to respond effectively to future threats.

The Orwellian strategy of dismissing research conducted by the scientific community as "junk science" and elevating the science conducted by product defense specialists to the status of "sound science" further confuses the public about the nature of scientific inquiry and erodes their trust in science's ability to address public health and environmental concerns. These reckless practices have existed for quite some time, but Michaels argues that the Bush administration took it to a new level by virtually handing over regulatory agencies to the very corporate powers whose products and behavior they are supposed to oversee.

In Doubt Is Their Product, Michaels presents compelling evidence to prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the tobacco industry's tactics have not only harmed public health but have also undermined the integrity of scientific inquiry and the trust of the public in scientific institutions. This book is a must-read for anyone who cares about protecting public health and ensuring that scientific evidence is used to inform policy decisions in the best interests of society.

Weight: 550g
Dimension: 235 x 157 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197760857