Heartland has long questioned the links between tobacco smoking,
secondhand smoke, and lung cancer and the social costs imposed by smokers.
[31] One of Heartland's first campaigns was against tobacco regulation.
[7] According to the
Los Angeles Times, Heartland's advocacy for the tobacco industry is one of the two things Heartland is most widely known for.
[32]
During the 1990s, the Institute worked with tobacco company
Philip Morris to question the links between smoking, secondhand smoke and health risks.
[3] Philip Morris commissioned Heartland to write and distribute reports. Heartland published a policy study which summarized a jointly prepared report by the
Association of Private Enterprise Education and Philip Morris. The Institute also undertook a variety of other activities on behalf of the tobacco industry, including meeting with legislators, holding off-the-record briefings, and producing op-eds, radio interviews, and letters.
[3]:233–34