Costa Rica: Overcoming the Tobacco Industry's Influence over Legislators

The FCTC calls for strong, enforceable protections from tobacco products. Considering the tobacco industry’s dependence on weak regulation for its expansion, it’s no surprise they’re working against an enforceable treaty that protects people. And since Costa Rica is a political leader in the region and home to British American Tobacco’s (BAT) Central American headquarters, the country is a high priority for public health advocates and the tobacco industry. While Costa Rica signed the FCTC on 3 July 2003, it has not yet ratified the treaty.
 
In June 2005, an international coalition of public health advocates met in Costa Rica to call on Costa Rica’s government to ratify the FCTC swiftly. The delegation joined AMBIO-ALERTA, a NATT member based in Costa Rica, to meet with Representatives of Congress and talk to the media about why the FCTC needed Costa Rica’s ratification.

In a related event, at a June 2005 forum on national tobacco control policy convened at the National Assembly by health advocates, BAT used a slick PowerPoint presentation to push its own regulatory agenda. Presenting itself as a “responsible” tobacco corporation and legitimate “partner,” BAT advocates for policies that would do more to protect its bottom line than public health.

This is a tactic that the tobacco industry has used for years to thwart effective regulation. In response the countries of the world have been clear: the tobacco industry shall play no role in public health policy making. They unanimously adopted Article 5.3 of the treaty that obligates parties to “protect these [public health] policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry.”

AMBIO-ALERTA and IAFA, the leading public health advocates, are resisting. At the June 2005 public forum, they laid out a clear case for why BAT’s proposals won’t work and why a ratified and implemented FCTC is best for reducing the burden of tobacco-related death and disease. As the battle in Costa Rica continues, NGOs and the public will continue to pressure the government to stand up to the tobacco industry and protect people by ratifying and implementing the global tobacco treaty.