TOBACCO INDUSTRY PRACTICES AND MOTIVES
The tobacco industry has been identified as the principal vector of tobacco-related diseases. In order to successfully implement tobacco control policies, it is important to understand its motives and interests whenever it approaches government officials. The illustration below provides examples of some of the challenges that the Article 5.3 Guidelines seek to address with regard to tobacco industry motives and practices.
| WHEN THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVE DOES THIS: | THE ULTERIOR MOTIVE IS TO: |
| Lobbies or requests to be part of tobacco control task forces or committees | Delay or derail the development, implementation, and enforcement of tobacco control policies |
| Submits position papers on policies and proposes alternative wordings | Delay or derail the implementation of stricter laws against the tobacco industry |
| Submits position papers on policies and proposes alternative wordings | Delay or derail the implementation of stricter laws against the tobacco industry |
| Appoints former prominent government officials as tobacco company board members or consultants | Use the influence of government officials to lobby within the government |
| “Befriends” and invites public officials to scientific conferences or study tours | Have allies within the government, buy their silence on anti-tobacco measures, or induce them to take a pro-tobacco industry position |
| Disseminates research papers about the harm of smoking and the viability of smoking rooms | Mislead people into thinking that there is a safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke and that ventilated smoking rooms offer adequate protection from secondhand smoke |
| Donates to universities or research institutes involved in cancer research | Use the credibility of universities and research institutions to legitimize the tobacco industry’s false claims and give the perception that it is concerned about cancer |
| Funds “youth smoking prevention” programs and donates money for environmental programs | Counteract tobacco control measures by influencing the perception of the public and media, project the tobacco industry as a good corporate citizen, and deflect issues relating to the harm of tobacco and the damage caused by the tobacco industry |