The cigarette industry diverted attention away from the dangers of cigarette fires by recruiting trusted names in fire safety to emphasize the hazards of flammable furniture. They planted Peter Sparber, a former tobacco executive inside the National Association of State Fire Marshalls, where he provided talking points and agenda notes for the other members.

“It wasn’t that they argued that cigarettes don’t cause fires, they just argued that the better way to address the problem was to have flame retardant furniture,” Callahan said.