Speaker Series

This year, and this semester, the writing 140 class was lucky enough to be visited by Andrew McGuire,    a man who has dedicated his life to making the world a little safer-- and a little better.
I very much enjoyed his lecture, he focused on his campaign for fire-safe cigarettes, which was born from a turn injury he himself sustained at a young age when his pajamas caught fire from a stove. First he advocated and succeeded with fire-safe pajamas, and then he turned his attention to the burn victims of cigarettes.

The following is an overview of the lecture:

A case study in advocacy with Andrew McGuire:
- Action against burn injuries (he was burned in 1952, his pajamas caught fire)
- He began the campaign for anti-flammable pajamas, which succeeded
- He wondered if cigarette-caused fires could be prevented
- There were past prevention methods, in 1931, but none were used
- “Fire-safe cigarette”: 2 bands of thicker paper so oxygen is contained, the bands cause it to “self-extinguish”
- 1976 he began to work on the cigarette issue
 - 1979: tobacco industries → the idea was to force them to make fire-proof cigarettes - McGuire did research, went to Center for Investigative Reporting in 1975 and presented the issue, they did research into it
- 1979: letters sent to 6 major cigarette companies asking if they would BY CHOICE make safer cigarettes - There was no reply….
- Fire-safe cigarettes were needed because there were many deaths due to cigarette-caused fires in homes (setting couch on fire when someone fell asleep smoking)
- 1982: Henry Waxman held the 1st hearing on the bill
- The tobacco industry began to fight the campaign for fireproof cigarettes. They began “AstroTurf campaign” → fake studies and evidence - The tobacco industry also gave money and grants to firemen and fire service organizations so that they could have them on their side
- 1979 to the present: Lawsuits were filed that the tobacco companies were responsible for cigarette-caused fires and deaths because they HAD the option to make them fire-safe and were choosing not to
- 2003: 1st time tobacco company settled → gave money for a case, in which a girl was burned by cigarette - Fire-safe legislation was passed in all 50 states (cigarettes HAD to be fire-safe or COULD NOT be sold)
- This was passed after 18 years of fighting
- 1984: 1st compromise by the tobacco industry, said they would allow a bill (the Cigarette safety act) to go through congress IF tests were done to determine if fire-safe cigarettes are technically and economically feasible. This took four years, and the answer was YES
- How to determine if the cigarette is fire-safe: a test was developed (1991-1993)
- Now it’s the law to have fire-safe cigarettes in the USA, all countries in Europe (he’s currently working on China) - Result: 70% reduction of cigarette-caused fires (LOWEST NUMBER EVER) - FSC: fire safety compliant, this is on the side of every cigarette box
- Cigarette companies had made payoffs to families to not go public with burn accusations (they know that the families will always win when a child’s involved)
- McGuire’s tools for advocacy:
o Survivor voices (crucial)
o Use of media
o Network of colleagues (people who trust what you are saying)
o National, state, and local coalitions
o Experts (people who deal with the issue and its effects)
o Work honestly and outwork and outthink the opposition
o Change strategy when necessary o Look for mentors who have “been there”
o If the advocacy cause is right, you will eventually prevail
o No cause is too small or too big
o Passion drives everything
o Defeats are temporary

The last part of the lecture was definitely the most inspiring for me...

I really appreciated, and I told his this in person after the lecture, seeing a man who was driven by moral action and ran himself in a purely ethical fashion. It made me feel hopeful, and it made me want to help his cause, or advocate for something myself.

He's right. No cause is to big or too small. Passion drives everything. And defeats are temporary. And... if your cause if right, then you will eventually prevail...