Stories of Big Tobacco Interference

The tobacco industry seeks to influence policy and thwart effective regulation:
 

• Interfering with FCTC ratification
• Suing governments
• Subverting legislation and exploiting loopholes
• Demanding a seat at the table
• Promoting voluntary regulation
• Drafting and distributing tobacco-friendly sample legislation
• Promoting and funding “youth smoking prevention” programs
• Challenging government timelines for implementing laws
• Attempting to bribe legislators
• Gaining favor by bankrolling government health initiatives on other issues
• Providing funds directly to government regulatory bodies
• Pushing corporate social responsibility PR efforts
• Defending trade at the expense of health

Unfortunately, Big Tobacco’s interference in health policy continues to be one of the greatest threats to the treaty’s implementation and enforcement. Philip Morris International (PMI), British American Tobacco (BAT) and Japan Tobacco (JT) use their political influence to weaken, delay and defeat tobacco control legislation around the world. While the industry claims to have changed its ways, it continues to use sophisticated methods to undermine meaningful legislation.

Attempting to Bribe Legislators and Suing the Government

In Kenya, BAT provided Parliamentary legislators with a lavish beach holiday — and hefty allowances — just days before they were to discuss legislation about implementing the treaty. During the holiday, BAT recommended major policy changes to the Ministry of Health’s draft bill — including giving the industry a role in the tobacco control oversight committee. The government was successful in issuing a ban on public smoking and requiring larger health warnings on cigarette packets, but BAT’s subsidiary complained the rules were untenable on the grounds that they were not consulted.Then the tobacco giant sued the government in an attempt to prevent the regulations from taking effect.

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Email us at stories@stopcorporateabuse.org if you have an example of tobacco industry interference in your country, state or region.