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British American Tobacco Wins Marlboro Man Award for Blatant Effort to Infiltrate FCTC Talks Unusual Decision to Name Tobacco Transnational Challenges Industry Attempts to Interfere with Treaty For Immediate Release: Contacts: GENEVA--With representatives in every corner of the conference center where the fifth round of negotiations on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) are taking place, British American Tobacco (B.A.T) has become the first tobacco transnational to be named winner of the Marlboro Man Award. The award, bestowed by the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT), generally exposes and challenges countries for espousing treaty positions that benefit the tobacco industry at the expense of public health. The large numbers of B.A.T representatives at the meeting highlights the urgent need for the FCTC to protect public health policy from interference by tobacco transnationals. "In the face of B.A.T's highly visible presence at this meeting, country delegates need to be more vigilant than ever of the industry's underhanded tactics to derail the treaty. With a history of lies and deceit, and evidence of lobbying, pay-offs and public relations to undermine national and global health policies, B.A.T, Philip Morris and Japan Tobacco have disqualified themselves from a role in public policy," says Kathryn Mulvey of Infact (US), a NATT member. In a news report on the FCTC earlier this week, B.A.T said it was sending representatives to Geneva for informal meetings. NATT members have confirmed that top level B.A.T executives, including an International Regulatory Affairs Manager, are attending this round of negotiations. Presumably in an effort to deceive meeting participants about their affiliations, B.A.T representatives wore NATT buttons with the slogan - "Strong FCTC, Keep the Tobacco Industry Out!" - yesterday at the conference center where the talks are taking place. The winner of the Marlboro Man Award will be announced each day by NATT, based on the previous day's negotiations. The first Marlboro Man Award of this session went to Japan. The award is named after Philip Morris's notorious advertising icon because of the Marlboro Man's central role in spreading tobacco addiction globally. The image was designed by its creator as "the right image to capture the youth market's fancy--a perfect symbol of independence and individualistic rebellion." Philip Morris has ridden to the top of the industry on the strength of the Marlboro Man advertising and promotional campaign, which has made Marlboro the world's leading cigarette brand. ### The Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT) includes 75 NGOs from more than 50 countries working for a strong, enforceable Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Under the coordination of Infact, NATT members contributing to Dirty Dealings include: CADI (Center for Alternative Development Initiatives)-Philippines, CESTA (Centro Salvadoreno de Tecnologia Apropriada)-El Salvador, Consumers Association of Malawi, Environmental Rights Action-Nigeria, VOICE (Voluntary Organization in the Interest of Consumer Education)-India, and ZACA (Zambian Consumers Association).
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