This article is part of the Tobacco portal on Sourcewatch funded from 2006 - 2009 by the American Legacy Foundation.

Peter G. Sparber was a Tobacco Institute Vice President in the 1980s who worked on combatting legislated and voluntary workplace smoking restrictions. Sparber also worked on a Tobacco Institute program to attack the insurance industry and undermine non-smoker discounts on insurance premiums, and a program to form a coalition to publicly portray public health adovcates as intolerant, anti-social and in need of help.

Between 1986 and 1989, Peter Sparber of the Tobacco Institute gave a speech discussing the Institute's plans to take a more "aggressive posture" against public health efforts to control tobacco. Sparber discussed "mobilizing smokers" to go "head-to-head against the anti-smokers." He described the purpose of the Center for Indoor Air Research (to provide science for the industry's scientific witnesses), and plans to form a group (headed by a celebrity spokesman) that would portray public health advocates as extreme, anti-social and over-reacting to life's small annoyances: "The coalition would sponsor research demonstrating that over-reactions [to being forced to breathe secondhand smoke] are abnormal and anti-social."

Sparber stated, "We will never be able to say that ETS is not harmful...The question is, when will we have solid, credible evidence that concerns about ETS are unfounded?"[1]

Sparber went on to form his own lobbying firm, Sparber and Associates, Inc.. In 1993, Sparber and Associates, Inc. recommended that the Tobacco Institute portray restaurant workers as public health problems rather than victims: "Since restaurant workers are largely incapable of speaking out for themselves, we believe the only way that the 'restaurant workers as victims of ETS [environmental tobacco smoke]' issue can grow is if the anti-smokers can generate sympathy for them. The best way of countering the antis, is to encourage third parties to increase public awareness of the public health threat posed by restaurant workers. It may be hard to generate public concern over restaurant worker exposure to ETS, when the public is more concerned about contracting rare, Central American strains of tuberculosis from restaurant workers." [2]

In 1998, Sparber worked for the Washingon libertarian think tank the Heartland Institute.

Documents Contained at the Anti-Environmental Archives Documents written by or referencing this person or organization are contained in the Anti-Environmental Archive, launched by Greenpeace on Earth Day, 2015. The archive contains 3,500 documents, some 27,000 pages, covering 350 organizations and individuals. The current archive includes mainly documents collected in the late 1980s through the early 2000s by The Clearinghouse on Environmental Advocacy and Research (CLEAR), an organization that tracked the rise of the so called "Wise Use" movement in the 1990s during the Clinton presidency. Access the index to the Anti-Environmental Archives here

1980 Sep 15 The Student Profiles of the Tobacco Institute's College of Tobacco Knowledge said this about his background.

Peter G. Sparber , Special Projects Director, The Tobacco Institute. Currently Sparber is vice president of public affairs at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Delaware Incorporated. Sparber will officially join the public relations department of The Tobacco Institute as Special Projects director in October. Previously, he was director of communications for the New Jersey Hospital Association, and before that a reporter for the Morris County Daily Record. Sparber lives in Wilmington, Delaware and is house-hunting in the Washington metropolitan area.

http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/fmw09a00/pdf

1980 Oct Sparber fomally joined the Tobacco Institute as director of Special Projects.

1980 Nov 26 He has asked the Florida Press Association if he can become an associate member. The Executive Director of the FPA (Reg Ivory) feels they have a

"definite obligation to open clear channels of communications with these businesses and industries so that we can present a more accurate and unbiased view of their accomplishments to our readers."

The Press Association want $300 pa. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/eyx83b00/pdf

1980 Dec 18 A memo from Sparber outlines who are the "Good Guys" in the media who will give them good publicity http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/wjy83b00/pdf

1981 /E Gene Ainsworth of RJ Reynolds has prepared a confidential report on the Tobacco Institute and its staff . He believes the TI has spent the last few years resting on its laurels.

My visceral reaction to the future of the Institute is that we need to have some type of trade association as our "front." Since we are such a concentrated industry and since we are such big fish in this pond, we need to have a front to absorb a lot of the heat that is generated with the Surgeon General's report etc.

He recommends new staff and lists the current staff problems. They need:

http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/lwd88d00/pdf

1982 Feb 25 Peter Sparber is at the Winter Meeting of the Tobacco Institute in Palm Springs. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/okt03b00/pdf

1982 Dec Sparber is handing over some of his responsibilities for Tobacco Institute issues to Susan Stuntz.

1983 Sep 28 William Kloepfer is reminded by Mozingo that they were going to meet Paul. Pete Spaber is ccd. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/nup09a00/pdf

1984 Apr 18 Peter Sparber advised Sam Chilcote President of the Tobacco Institute that Ray Scannell of the Bakery, Confectionery and Tobacco Worker's Union (BC&T) had suggested running a series of ads in various 'liberal magazines like the New Republic. These magazines might not accept the ads from the Tobacco Institute, but they would from the union. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ozm04b00/pdf

1984 Sep (in 1986 Jan TI's PR resources - Fire/Witness)

Accidental Fires - Where The Tobacco Institute Stands (In this) Three-page reprint of Peter Sparber article, published in Fire Chief magazine. September 1984

(Sparber) Discusses the tobacco industry's role in helping the fire service with fire prevention and the industry's viewpoint on the "fire-safe" cigarette

http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/lgf85e00/pdf

1985 Sep 30 List of current, and ex employees of the Tobacco Institute. He is listed as an employee. [until 1988 when he became a contractor) http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ojr16b00

1985 Dec 13 Peter Sparber at the Tobacco Institute is venting his fury his associate to Bill Buckley:

Gerald Kupris' handling of our project with the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association is the single worst piece of staff work I have seen in five years at The Institute. In mid-June, we met with Jerry, Bob Diamond and [Richard Scanlon|Ric Scanlon]] to outline an overall program to avert restaurant legislation in that state. Every element of the program was spelled out and then confirmed in writing. All commitments of resources and deadlines were honored by this division. Altogether, more than $14,000 (not counting the latest $2,500 in mailing costs) was spent to make this program a success.

http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/urf88b00/pdf

1985 Dec 19 Peter Sparber to subordinates Meg Buckey and Susan Stuntz -- he is handing over the responsibility for the fire-related activities of the Institute.

As discussed generally, the accidental fire issue is now managed by Susan Stuntz who will be assisted by Meg Buckley, Tri-Data, other consultants and myself. This action is in recognition of the expected surge of legislative, regulatory and other issues-related activity expected within 18 months of this date. There are about a dozen distinct functions related to the management of this issue. By and large, those management functions which I have been performing will now be Susan's responsibilities. Meg's role should not change appreciably. Tri-Data's assignments will modestly decrease and change given the increased staffing. We will share the contact work.

This document outlines the range of activities and allocates responsibilities for each area. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/xsb48b00/pdf

1986 Jan 28 The Public Relations Resource Catalogue of the Tobacco Institute carries a cover-note to Regional Directors listing the TI senior staff handling different issues.