tobacco industry

A now extensive literature has documented political strategies of health-harming industries (HHIs), but little is known about their engagement with parliamentary select committees. Recent investments by trans-national tobacco corporations (TTCs) in electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) has raised concerns that industry actors may be using these to re-engage policy-makers in ways precluded by the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 5.3. 

This article examines tobacco industry engagement with the United Kingdom House of Commons Science and Technology Committee (STC) inquiry into e-cigarettes. It draws on a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with committee members and support staff (n = 4) triangulated against written and oral evidence submissions. 

TTCs featured prominently in the STC inquiry via written and oral submissions. Opportunities existed for industry engagement, and potential influence, at each stage of the process. There was an absence of oral testimony from those sceptical about the potential health benefits of ENDS. The governance mechanisms in place for select committees appear inadequate for protecting committee work from industry influence. As it relates to TTCs, this has implications for the UK’s commitments under FCTC Article 5.3, yet understanding of the FCTC and the requirements of Article 5.3 compliance within the committee were limited. 

The governance of select committees requires urgent reform in order to balance norms of openness and participation with the need to protect their work from power of economic actors with conflicts of interest (COI). This is particularly the case in relation to TTCs and adherence to FCTC Article 5.3. These findings are of relevance to other select committees whose work affects the interests of HHIs. Further research is needed on other committees and sectors.

Attitudes and impressions toward the tobacco industry and tobacco products among the general public are important determinants for curbing the menace of the tobacco epidemic. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess the knowledge and perceptions about the tobacco industry and tobacco products and analyze attitudes towards social denormalization (SD) of tobacco use and tobacco industry denormalization (TID) among the rural population of Bihar, India. This community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted on 421 adults aged 18 to 65 years who were selected using multistage systematic random sampling in a rural area of Bihar State in India from January to March 2022. Results were presented as proportions and the factors associated with support for TID and SD were identified using the chi-square test and binary logistic regression. Out of 421 participants, 342 (81.2%) did not consider smokeless tobacco to be very dangerous. Nearly half (192, 45.6%) of the individuals believed that tobacco companies never tell the truth about the ill effects of tobacco use on health. Maximum, 345 (89.5%) also believed that the tobacco industry is responsible for adverse health effects of tobacco use and that the government should sue them. The prevalence of favorable attitudes toward TID and SD was found to be 55.1% [95% CI: 50.3% – 59.8%] and 38.2% [95% CI: 33.7% – 42.9%], respectively. One out of every two and one out of every three individuals showed favorable attitudes toward TID and SD, respectively. There is a need to inform and educate the public on the ill effects of tobacco and the deceptive strategies used by the tobaccoindustry to help them choose health over tobacco.

Context: 

In recent decades, the tobacco epidemic has spread worldwide. The impact of tobacco control policies has been different among countries. This paper aims to explain how two countries, the United Kingdom (UK) and India, with different political, social, and cultural contexts, implemented theWorld Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Evidence Acquisition: 

A comparative study was done for tobacco control in UK and India in 2022. A review of literature in five databases, observational data and legal documents on tobacco use were undertaken. To identify and explain the factors that pose challenges to the implementation of tobacco control policies, country reports and health policy monitoring and research databases (in total, 27 papers and 16 reports) were reviewed.

Having different economic, social, and cultural backgrounds, a similar pathway to control the tobacco industry can be seen in UK and India. The factors that can explain the similar outcomes in two countries are the global pressure of WHO, increased awareness of people and policymakers, and a sense of urgency about the tobacco problem in both societies.

At different stages of tobacco control in both countries, various interest groups with different routes of political influence used veto opportunities to overturn political decisions in the policy process. Continuous analysis of interest groups and their status quo is necessary to restrict the tobacco industry in favor of public health. Governments should carefully recognize the stakeholders and stake challengers in the policy domain and balance their interests.

Globally, tobacco use is a major public health concern given its huge morbidity and mortality burden that is inequitably high in law- and middle-income countries. The World Health Or ganization has suggested banning the advertisement, promotion and sponsorship of to bacco. However, governments in some countries, including India, are ei ther directly engaged in tobacco industry oper ations or have a mandate to promote tobacco industry development. This paper analyses a short-term advocacy campaign that chal-lenged the state-tobacco industry ties to draw lessons for effective public health advocacy. This paper uses a case study method to analyze advocacy efforts in India to thwart the state-tobacco industry partnership: the Indian gov-ernment’s sponsorship and support to a global tobacco industry event. The paper explores multiple strategies employed in the five-month advo cacy campaign (May to October 2010) to chal lenge this state-industry tie. In doing so, we describe the challenges faced and the lessons learnt for effective advo-cacy. Government withdrew participation and financial sponsor ship from the tobacco industry event. Use of multiple strategies in cluding en gaging all concerned government agencies from the be ginning, strategic use of media, presence and mobilization of civil society, and use of legal tools to gain information and judicial action, were complementary in bringing desired outcomes. Use of multiple and complementary advocacy strate gies could lead to positive outcomes in a short-time campaign. The Framework Con-vention on Tobacco Control could form an impor tant advocacy tool, espe-cially in countries that have ratified it, to advocate for im provements in na-tional tobacco control regulations.