Chapter 108

If you remember the ‘70’s, tobacco companies were under fire by those claiming that cigarette smoking was addictive and damaging to our health. They were defending themselves as best they could from these charges.

While this was happening, an animal behaviorist wanted to remove the human factor, thus removing much of the emotional component, from examination of the issue. He planned and designed a research program to study the effect of cigarette smoke on laboratory rats. He began by subjecting rats to repeated doses of smoke, with control subjects having no exposure, and others having a series of different intensities ranging from 1 pack a day to 4 packs a day. After several months, the rats were placed in a confined space with neither food or water, and had to traverse a tube with dense smoke to get out. He timed how long it took for the various rats to enter the escape tube. What was immediately apparent was that the control group hesitated and resisted entering the tube, while those getting the highest dosage were eager to enter the smoke.