scholarly journals Tobacco industry access to policy elites and the implementation of Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

2019 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2019-055251
Author(s):  
Marc C Willemsen ◽  
Gary Fooks
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Court Case ◽  
Degree Of Protection ◽  
Code Of Practice ◽  
Codes Of Practice ◽  
Government Documents ◽  
The Government ◽  
Naming And Shaming

IntroductionArticle 5.3 WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) aims to prevent tobacco industry interference with public health policy. The degree of protection depends on several factors: the interpretation of Article 5.3 by governments; the presence of codes of practice; and the effectiveness of industry lobbying versus public health advocacy. We examine these factors with reference to the Dutch government’s interpretation of Article 5.3.MethodsWe searched the Dutch Tobacco Industry Special Collection, part of the Truth Tobacco Industry Documents archive, containing more than 1100 Dutch government documents.ResultsBetween 2007 and 2012, under consistent pressure from the industry, an initial strict view of Article 5.3 gave way to increased contact with the industry. The industry tried to shift the governance of tobacco policy back to the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Around 2010, Dutch public health advocates began to use Article 5.3. Efforts included naming and shaming government contact with the industry, parliamentary questions about industry–government contact, a report outlining how Article 5.3 should be observed and, most importantly, a court case. In response to this, the government produced a formal code of practice, which was used to prevent industry involvement in the development of a new National Prevention Accord.DiscussionThe Dutch government’s initial decision not to codify Article 5.3 created an administrative environment in which health ministers’ interpretation of Article 5.3 was able to shift according to their political beliefs. The findings support the recommendation that Parties to the FCTC take a strict approach and formally codify Article 5.3 to ensure effective implementation.

Heated debates on regulations of heated tobacco products in South Korea: the news valence, source and framing of relative risk/benefit

2021 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2020-056131
Author(s):  
Jungmi Jun ◽  
Sei-Hill Kim ◽  
James Thrasher ◽  
Yoo Jin Cho ◽  
Yu-Jin Heo
Keyword(s):  
South Korea ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Warning Labels ◽  
Tobacco Products ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Tv News ◽  
The Government

BackgroundWe analyse news representations of the regulation of heated tobacco products (HTPs) in South Korea, the country where HTP use is among the highest in the world despite conflicts between the government and the HTP manufacturers.MethodsWe analysed a total of 571 print and TV news covering HTP regulations, published between 2017 and 2018, the time period when HTPs were introduced to the country and various regulations of HTPs were proposed and implemented. We assessed the prevalence and associations among specific types of HTP regulations that were discussed, valence towards regulation, sources, framing of the relative health risks/benefits of HTPs compared with conventional cigarettes.ResultsTaxation (55.2%) and warning labels (25.7%) were two regulation topics covered the most. Almost equal proportions of pro-regulation (2.5%) and anti-regulation valence (2.2%) were found in taxation-related news, while pro-regulation valence appeared more frequently for other restrictions, including warning labels (pro=9.5% vs anti=1.4%), marketing restrictions (pro=6.9% vs anti=0%) and integration of HTPs into smoke-free policies for cigarettes (pro=8.7% vs anti=0%). The government (59%), followed by the tobacco industry (39.4%), was the source cited most often across news stories while the presence of tobacco control advocates was low (4.9%). As for framing, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of stories mentioning reduced harm (31.7%) and equal or more harm (33.6%) of HTPs compared with cigarettes.ConclusionsWe provide implications for governments and tobacco control advocates on building consensus for applying cigarette equivalent taxes and pictorial warning labels to HTPs.

scholarly journals Fiscal and Public Health Impact of a Change in Tobacco Excise Taxes in Ghana

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fenny Ama Pokuaa ◽  
Aba Obrumah Crentsil ◽  
Christian Kwaku Osei ◽  
Felix Ankomah Asante
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Tax Revenue ◽  
Tax Administration ◽  
Tax Structure ◽  
Ad Valorem Tax ◽  
Excise Tax ◽  
The Government ◽  
Ad Valorem

This working paper predicts the fiscal and public health outcomes from a change in the excise tax structure for cigarettes in Ghana. More than 5,000 people are killed by diseases caused by tobacco every year in Ghana (Tobacco Atlas 2018). Currently the country has a unitary tax administration approach, with a uniform ad valorem tax structure on all excisable products, including tobacco. However, the ECOWAS directive on tobacco control, in line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO 2003), recommends a simple tax structure – using a mixed excise system with a minimum specific tax floor to overcome the limitations of an ad valorem system on tobacco products, especially cigarettes. The study therefore simulates mixed tax policy interventions, and assesses their effect on government revenue and public health relative to the current ad valorem tax system. Primary data collection of tobacco prices in three geographical zones of the country was conducted in February 2020, across both rural and urban localities. This was supported with secondary data from national and international databases. Based on the assumption that Ghana adopts a mixed tax structure, the simulation shows that, if the government imposes a specific excise tax of GH₵4.00 (US$0.80) per pack in addition to the current ad valorem rate of 175 per cent of the CIF value, the average retail price of a cigarette pack would increase by 128 per cent, cigarette consumption decrease by 27 per cent, tobacco excise tax revenue increase by 627 per cent, and overall tobacco-related government tax revenue increase by 201 per cent.1 Additionally, there would be significant declines in smoking prevalence (3.3%), smoking intensity (1,448 cigarettes per year), and 3,526 premature smoking-related deaths would be avoided. The paper advocates for a strong tax administration and technical capacity, with continuous commitment by the government to adjust the tax rate in line with the rate of inflation and per capita income growth.

Insider Activists and Secondhand Smoke Countermeasures in Japan

Asian Survey ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-32
Author(s):  
Celeste L. Arrington
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Secondhand Smoke ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Health Protection ◽  
Policy Entrepreneurship ◽  
Government Documents ◽  
Public Health Protection

Long considered a smoker’s paradise, Japan passed its strictest regulations yet on indoor smoking in 2018 with revisions to the Health Promotion Law and a new ordinance in Tokyo. Timed for the Tokyo Olympics, both reforms made smoking regulations stronger and more legalistic despite reflecting distinctive policy paradigms in their particulars. The national regulations curtailed smoking in many public spaces but accommodated smoking in small restaurants and bars. Tokyo’s stronger restrictions emphasized public health protection by exempting only eateries with no employees. I argue that fully understanding these contemporaneous reforms requires analyzing insider activists: state actors who participated in the tobacco control movement or had sustained interaction with it during earlier reform waves. Case studies drawing on interviews and movement and government documents illustrate the mechanisms insider activists can access because they straddle multiple fields. This article contributes to scholarship about ideas, policy entrepreneurship, and the blurry line between insiders and outsiders in policymaking.

scholarly journals Origins of tobacco harm reduction in the UK: the ‘Product Modification Programme' (1972–1991)

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (e1) ◽  
pp. e12-e18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse Elias ◽  
Pamela M Ling
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Harm Reduction ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
British Government ◽  
Tobacco Harm Reduction ◽  
Parliamentary Debate ◽  
Product Modification ◽  
The Uk

ObjectiveTo better understand the current embrace of long-term nicotine maintenance by British governmental agencies and tobacco harm reduction by several leading British public health organisations, describe the context and deliberations of the UK’s first formal tobacco risk reduction programme: ‘Product Modification’.MethodsAnalysis of previously secret tobacco industry documents, news archives and Parliamentary debate records.ResultsFrom 1972 to 1991, the British government sought to investigate safer smoking through the ‘product modification programme'. The Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health (ISCSH) advised the British government on these efforts and collaborated with the tobacco industry, with which government then negotiated to determine policy. The ISCSH operated from four industry-backed premises, which contributed to the ISCSH’s support of safer smoking: (1) reduced toxicity indicates reduced risk; (2) collaboration with the tobacco industry will not undermine tobacco control; (3) nicotine addiction is unavoidable; (4) to curtail cigarette use, solutions must be consumer-approved (ie, profitable). These premises often undermined tobacco control efforts and placed the ISCSH at odds with broader currents in public health. The product modification programme was abandoned in 1991 as the European Community began requiring members to adopt upper tar limits, rendering the ISCSH redundant.Policy implicationsEndorsements of reduced harm tobacco products share the same four premises that supported the product modification programme. Current tobacco harm reduction premises and policies supported by the British government and leading British public health organisations may reflect the historical influence of the tobacco industry.

FCTC Ratification, Smoking Prevalence and GDP per Capita : Lesson Learn for Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdillah Ahsan ◽  
Rifai Afin ◽  
Nadira Amalia ◽  
Martha Hindriyani ◽  
Ardhini Risfa Jacinda
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Smoking Prevalence ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The stagnated tobacco control progress in Indonesia needs to be accelerated through a more comprehensive implementation of Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC) measurement. Nevertheless, the tobacco industry argument concerning the negative economic impacts of tobacco control still hinders the government to ratify or even sign the FCTC, which has been ratified by more than 180 countries. This study aims to bring the empirical evidence on the tobacco industry argument concerning FCTC. This study applied two stage least square estimation strategy to unbalanced panel data at country level. On the first stage we estimate the impact FCTC ratification on smoking activity, and on the second step, estimating the influence of smoking activities on macroeconomic performance.Results The result of this study shows that FCTC ratification is negatively related to a country’s smoking prevalence, in which the ratifying party of FCTC has lower smoking prevalence. Moreover, country who ratifies FCTC longer is also associated with lower smoking prevalence. Whereas FCTC ratification is beneficial in reducing smoking prevalence, the declining smoking prevalence is not related to the decline in GDP per capita.Conclusions The result of this study shows the decrease in smoking prevalence has nothing to do with the macroeconomic indicator. Hence, FCTC ratification, which is an important driver for tobacco control actions acceleration, should not be seen as a backfire to the economy. Instead, FCTC ratification could be mutually beneficial for the health and economic aspects as it provides comprehensive guidance and protocols by taking into account the well-being states of both aspects.

Successful countering of tobacco industry efforts to overturn Thailand's ENDS ban

2020 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2020-056058
Author(s):  
Roengrudee Patanavanich ◽  
Stanton Glantz
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Harm Reduction ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Shared Vision ◽  
Tobacco Products ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Philip Morris ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
The Government

BackgroundAfter Thailand enacted laws to ban the import and sale of all types of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs)) in 2015, pro-ENDS advocacy groups pressured the government to lift the ban, particularly after Philip Morris International (PMI) started promoting its HTP IQOS in 2017.MethodsWe reviewed information related to ENDS in Thailand between 2014 and 2019 from Thai newspaper articles, meeting minutes and letters submitted to government agencies, websites and social media platforms of pro-ENDS networks and Thai tobacco control organisations.ResultsThe tobacco industry and the pro-ENDS groups used five tactics to try to reverse the Thai ban on ENDS: creating front groups, lobbying decision-makers, running public relations campaigns, seeking to discredit tobacco control advocates and funding pro-tobacco harm reduction research. ENDS Cigarette Smoking Thailand (ECST), a pro-ENDS group in Thailand, worked in parallel with Philip Morris Thailand Limited (PMTL) to oppose the ban. The group connected with international coalitions that promote harm reduction through the PMI-funded Foundation for a Smoke-Free World.ConclusionAlthough ECST and PMTL continuously worked to revoke the ban since 2017, the government still kept ENDS illegal as of October 2020. This decision resulted from the strong commitment and collaboration among Thai tobacco control organisations and their shared vision to protect the public’s health from harmful tobacco products. The linkages between the pro-ENDS movement in Thailand and the tobacco companies could inform health advocates and policy-makers in other low and middle income countries facing pressure to market ENDS.

The Politics of Global Tobacco Control

2019 ◽  
pp. 659-683
Author(s):  
Kelley Lee
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Control Policy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Issue ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Illicit Trade ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Transnational Tobacco Companies

This chapter examines the politics that has shifted tobacco control policy over the past three decades, from a long-neglected public health issue to a flagship global health issue supported by collective action by state and non-state actors. These efforts were spurred by the expansion of leading transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) into emerging markets, beginning in the 1960s, amid growing regulation and declining sales in traditional markets. By the 1990s tobacco use was steadily rising in the wake of the global expansion of the tobacco industry. The negotiation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) became the focus of intense political contestation between a powerful industry seeking to protect its commercial interests and an alarmed public health community. Since adoption of the FCTC in 2004, this political battle has shifted to its effective implementation in signatory states. This has included the eventual negotiation of the FCTC Protocol to Eliminate the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products and continued efforts by the tobacco industry to sustain sales through a variety of political strategies.

scholarly journals Tobacco control in Nepal during a time of government turmoil (1960–2006)

2019 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2019-055066 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dharma Bhatta ◽  
Eric Crosbie ◽  
Stella Bialous ◽  
Stanton Glantz
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Supreme Court Decision ◽  
Tobacco Company ◽  
Executive Orders ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Tobacco Tax ◽  
The Government ◽  
Transnational Tobacco Companies

BackgroundNepal was a monarchy, then a dictatorship, then a democracy. This paper reviews how tobacco control progressed in Nepal in the context of these changes in government from 1950 through 2006.MethodsWe triangulated tobacco industry documents, newspaper articles and key informant interviews.ResultsUntil 1983, the tobacco industry was mostly state owned. Transnational tobacco companies entered the Nepalese market through ventures with Surya Tobacco Company Private Limited (with Imperial Tobacco Company and British American Tobacco) in 1983 and Seti Cigarette Factory Limited (with Philip Morris International [PMI]) in 1985. Seminars and conferences on tobacco, celebrations of World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) and efforts by WHO helped promote tobacco control in Nepal beginning in the 1970s. Tobacco advocates in Nepal pushed the government to issue executive orders banning smoking in public places in 1992 and tobacco advertising in electronic media in 1998, and to introduce a tobacco health tax in 1993. The tobacco industry lobbied against these measures and succeeded in keeping the tobacco tax low by challenging it in court. Tobacco advocates sued the government in 2003 and 2005, resulting in a June 2006 Supreme Court decision upholding the smoking and advertising bans and requiring the government to enact a comprehensive tobacco control law.ConclusionsPolitical instability, conflict, weak governance and the dictatorship significantly affect tobacco control activities in low-income and middle-income countries. Nepal shows that tobacco control advocates can take advantage of global events, such as WNTD, and use domestic litigation to maintain support from civil societies and to advocate for stronger tobacco control policies.

scholarly journals The lead up to tobacco plain packaging policy in Turkey

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Selamoğlu ◽  
S Fawkes ◽  
A E Önal ◽  
D Gleeson
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Political Agenda ◽  
Plain Packaging ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Turkish Government ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Research shows tobacco plain packaging (TPP) is effective in reducing the attractiveness of tobacco products, effectiveness of tobacco packaging and increases the impact of health warnings. Since Australia introduced TPP in 2012, several other countries have adopted similar legislation, and more have begun preparations for introducing it. Turkey first announced its intention to proceed with TPP in 2011, however prior to the eventual passage of legislation in December 2018 there were many false starts and delays. This study (conducted in 2018 before TPP legislation was passed in Turkey) explored the barriers and facilitators to introducing legislation. Methods A qualitative study design was employed using a single case study approach. Publicly available documents relevant to TPP in Turkey were analysed and interviews with key informants from academics, bureaucrats in government ministries and non-government organisations (NGOs) were conducted in 2018. Results Barriers such as changes to the government, tobacco industry opposition and the economic crisis appeared to contribute most to the delays in introducing TPP. Despite the barriers Turkey had faced, TPP legislation managed to reach the political agenda primarily through the collaborative advocacy efforts of NGOs, academics and the leadership of particular tobacco control advocates. Conclusions TPP legislation was approved by the Turkish government on the 5th December 2018 and has been in force since the 5th January 2020. Implications for the wider uptake of TPP include the importance of building effective coalitions and raising public awareness. Key messages The tobacco industry opposition can be defeated by tobacco control advocates working together. Turkey’s experience should be considered by other countries who are willing to implement TPP.

scholarly journals Diverse and competing interests around tobacco: qualitative analysis of two decades of parliamentary questions in India

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. e004093
Author(s):  
Amiti Varma ◽  
Latha Chilgod ◽  
Upendra Bhojani
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
State Level ◽  
The Political ◽  
The Public ◽  
Competing Interests ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Government ◽  
Important State

IntroductionIndia continues to enhance tobacco control regulations protecting the public health while housing a widespread tobacco industry. This implies complexities in regulating tobacco. As part of a broader inquiry on the political economy of tobacco, we aimed to understand the concerns of Indian parliamentarians around tobacco.MethodsWe sourced transcripts of tobacco-related questions asked by parliamentarians between the years 1999 and 2019 from the electronic archives of both the houses of Indian parliament. We analysed the frequency of questions during different regimens, segregated by the states and the political parties that parliamentarians belonged to, as well as by the government ministries to which these questions were posed. We also conducted thematic content analysis of these questions, identifying specific themes defining parliamentarians’ concerns.Results729 unique parliamentarians asked 1315 questions about tobacco, conveying varied concerns related to health, commerce, labour and agriculture sectors. Over time, the focus of the questions shifted from majorly trade to majorly health-related concerns. We show how the tobacco regulations in India are multi-institutional and are a result of negotiations of several legitimate and competing, interests. We found important state-level differences in the number and nature of these questions.ConclusionParliamentary questions constitute a useful resource in studying tobacco politics. Tobacco regulations are a product of complex negotiation of varied and competing concerns. We identify core arguments in favour and against tobacco control that would help tobacco control advocates and agencies to better prepare and engage with diverse political voices around tobacco.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document