10A.1 Strategies for influence - Overview

In Australia and internationally, the tobacco industry has developed a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to defending its interests. This has included:

• developing strategies aimed at undermining the credibility of the medico-scientific community and public health interests
• developing networks of influence throughout the business community and the political world
• permeating community interest groups and charities
• mobilising smokers, retailers, hoteliers, trade organisations and others whose interests overlap with those of the tobacco industry. 

The capacity of the tobacco industry to interfere with tobacco control legislation is a major barrier to the introduction of health measures. The World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), Article 5.3 states that, ‘In setting and implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, Parties shall act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law’ (the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has itself been the object of intense tobacco industry lobbying. See Section 10A.7.1). ¹

At its third session in November 2008, the Conference of the Parties adopted guidelines for implementation of Article 5.3.2 Eight key areas were outlined for recommended action ² :

1. Raise awareness about the addictive and harmful nature of tobacco products and about tobacco industry interference with Parties’ tobacco control policies.
2. Establish measures to limit interactions with the tobacco industry and ensure the transparency of those interactions that occur.
3. Reject partnerships and non-binding or non-enforceable agreements with the tobacco industry.
4. Avoid conflicts of interest for government officials and employees.
5. Require that information provided by the tobacco industry be transparent and accurate.
6. Denormalise and, to the extent possible, regulate activities described as ‘socially responsible’ by the tobacco industry, including but not limited to activities described as ‘corporate social responsibility’.
7. Do not give preferential treatment to the tobacco industry.
8. Treat State-owned tobacco industry in the same way as any other tobacco industry.

Among other important analyses, ^3-6 the 2009 WHO report, Tobacco Industry Interference in Tobacco Control, ⁷  summarises the most common tobacco industry tactics as follows:   

The following sections discuss some of these strategies in more detail. Several commentators have concluded that systematic and rigorous monitoring of these activities is an essential first step in countering industry interference in tobacco control. ^8-10 

Relevant news and research

For recent news items and research on this topic, click  here. (Last updated December 2024)

References 

1. WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2003. Available from:  http://www.who.int/tobacco/framework/en/.

2. WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Conference of the Parties. Elaboration of guidelines for implementation of article 5.3 of the convention. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2008. Available from:  http://www.who.int/fctc/guidelines/article_5_3.pdf.

3. Sweda EL, Jr and Daynard RA. Tobacco industry tactics. British Medical Bulletin, 1996; 52(1):183–92. Available from: http://bmb.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/52/1/183

4. Saloojee Y and Dagli E. Tobacco industry tactics for resisting public policy on health. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2000; 78:902–10. Available from:  http://www.who.int/bulletin/archives/78(7)902.pdf

5. Trochim WMK, Stillman FA, Clark PI, and Schmitt CL. Development of a model of the tobacco industry's interference with tobacco control programmes. Tobacco Control, 2003; 12(2):140–7. Available from:  http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/12/2/140 

6. Fox B, Bialous S, Trochim W, Stillman F, and C S. Chapter 8. Evaluating tobacco industry tactics as a counterforce to ASSIST, in Evaluating ASSIST: A blueprint for understanding state-level tobacco control. Bethesda, Maryland: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute; 2006.  Available from:  http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/brp/TCRB/monographs/17/m17_8.pdf.

7. World Health Organization. Tobacco industry interference with tobacco control. World Health Organisation, Geneva: WHO, 2009. Available from:  http://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/70894.

8. Morabia A and Costanza MC. Let's not have to hear it through the grapevine. Preventive Medicine, 2009; 48(suppl. 1):S1–2. Available from:  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743509000036

9. Cruz TB. Monitoring the tobacco use epidemic iv. The vector: Tobacco industry data sources and recommendations for research and evaluation. Preventive Medicine, 2009; 48(suppl.1):S24–34. Available from:  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743508005136

10. Stillman F, Hoang M, Linton R, Ritthiphakdee B, and Trochim W. Mapping tobacco industry strategies in South East Asia for action planning and surveillance. Tobacco Control, 2008; 17(1):e1. Available from:  http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/1/e1