although non-smokers rights activists like donna shimp asserted they had a right to comfort and shared space, the lore of the cigarette was irresistible. it is now thought of as a private vice and private failing, unnecessarily stigmatizing overtones when you consider people who smoke tend to be poorer and less educated than those who do not. activists today continue to find the social cost of disease framing irresistible, especially for the obesity epidemic and the opioid epidemic, two industrially produced diseases that disproportionately affect people with lower incomes. a healthier society may in fact be cheaper in the long run, but the business case will not produce justice for those who suffer from the diseases of modern life. finally, it is not possible to talk about tobacco today without talking about vaping. with ultra's 35% stake in juul, when we talk about vaping, we are after all talking about the tobacco industry. the tobacco companies hired their own lobbyists and statehouses to thwart legislation, using what are known as preemptive laws. the tobacco industry worked to re

. >> host: go back, 1970, to donna shimp. tell me about her. tell me about the case. >> guest: donna shimp was this fascinating woman. so she was a customer service representative working for new jersey bell, and she had a terrible tobacco allergy. and where she worked in new jersey, more than half of her coworker smelled, , which is actually more smoking environment than most people offices. because at this time only about 40% of the american population smoked. so she was exposed to smoke on a daily basis. she had complained to her supervisors and had not gotten very far, and it really affected her quality of life. every day she would pop in appeal because she would throw up. sometimes, as she began to wear a gas mask to work, which to me just -- >> host: at the telephone -- >> guest: yes. she had to lower it but did not remove completely when she spoke to people on the phone or with people who came in to the office. >> host: this was the little bells before we had verizon. >> guest: yes. at&t, yes. she went, she was a member of the communicat