Monitoring the interferences of tobacco industry and analyzing situation of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship through implementing an online surveillance system to facilitate enforcement of tobacco control laws in Bangladesh

Abstract Background: Tobacco Industry (TI) strives to portray itself as being “socially responsible” and contest for pertinent decision-making positions, which it uses to deter, delay or dilute tobacco control measures. There is little documented evidence of Tobacco Industry Interference (TII) from India, the scope of their interference and challenges faced by the experts for effective tobacco control.Methods: A cross-sectional qualitative research design, based upon in-depth interviews (N=26), was used to explore the opinion of key stakeholders regarding TII in India. The interview schedule collected information about the participant’s roles and responsibilities in tobacco control, the nature of TII faced by the participant, means of influence by TI, barriers and challenges to tobacco control efforts using a set of questions. Results: Most of the respondents were engaged in tobacco control, training, advocacy, and awareness generation activities from the last 5-10 years or more. The respondents defined the TI and its scope as per their experience with the help of power ranking methodology. Most of them perceived TI as ‘Manufacturers’ while others consider them as ‘advertisers’, ‘public relation companies’, ‘wholesalers’, ‘vendors’, and ‘Government firms having TI stocks’ as TI. We identified six major domains (Influencing the policy and administrative decisions, Interference with implementation of tobacco control laws and activities, False propaganda and hiding the truth, manipulating front action groups (FAG), Rampant tobacco advertising and promotion activities, and others) under which TII activities were classified. Most respondents were of opinion that TI players were interfering in the policy decisions, implementation of the tobacco control laws and activities, and manipulating the FAG. A detailed taxonomic classification of the TII strategies that emerged from our analysis were linked to article 5.3 of FCTC. Conclusions: The activity documented a significant level of TII in different domains with stakeholders acting at various hierarchical levels. The study provide insights about the nefarious tactics of TI, enable stakeholders to anticipate and pre-empt the kinds of alliances the TI may attempt to build, stimulate academicians and researchers to undertake in-depth analysis into various strategies and underscore the need for ensuring transparency in official interactions with the TI and their representatives.

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Role of civil society action committee as a key actor for successfully implementation of bans of Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship (TAPS) under tobacco control laws in the southern coastal areas of Bangladesh

Tobacco Induced Diseases ◽

10.18332/tid/141049 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

A.K.M. Maksud ◽

Khandaker Reaz Hossain

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

Tobacco Control ◽

Coastal Areas ◽

Control Laws ◽

Tobacco Advertising ◽

Action Committee

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Evidence on article 5.3 of FCTC (tobacco industry interference in tobacco control activities) in India- a qualitative scoping study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11773-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sonu Goel ◽

Sitanshu Sekhar Kar ◽

Madhur Verma ◽

Parthibane Sivanantham ◽

Bijay Nanda Naik ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tobacco Control ◽

Tobacco Industry ◽

Control Measures ◽

Socially Responsible ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Control Laws ◽

Roles And Responsibilities ◽

Qualitative Research Design ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

Barriers And Challenges

Abstract Background The Tobacco Industry (henceforth TI) yearns to portray itself as being “socially responsible” and fights for the decision-making positions; that are it used to deter, delay or dilute tobacco control measures. There is little documented evidence of Tobacco Industry Interference (henceforth TII) from India, the scope of their interference and challenges faced by the experts for effective tobacco control. This research study seeks to cover this significant gap in the literature on the TI of India. Methods A cross-sectional qualitative research design, based upon in-depth interviews (N = 26), was used to explore the key stakeholders’ opinions regarding TII in India. The interviews used a set of questions to collect information about the participant’s roles and responsibilities in tobacco control, the nature of TII faced by the participants, means of influence by TI, barriers and challenges to tobacco control efforts. Results Most of the respondents were engaged in tobacco control, training, advocacy and awareness generation activities for 5–10 years or more. The respondents defined the TI and its scope as per their experience with the help of the power ranking methodology. Most of them perceived TI as ‘manufacturers’ while others consider them as ‘advertisers’, ‘public relation companies’, ‘wholesalers’, ‘vendors’, and ‘Government firms with TI stocks. The research team identified six significant domains: influencing the policy and administrative decisions, Interference in the implementation of tobacco control laws and activities, false propaganda and hiding the truth, manipulating front action groups (FAG), rampant tobacco advertising and promotion activities and others under which TII activities were classified. Most respondents believed that TI players were interfering in the policy decisions, implementing the tobacco control laws and activities and manipulating the FAG. A detailed taxonomic classification of the TII strategies that emerged from our analysis was linked to article 5.3 of FCTC. Conclusions The study documented a significant level of TII in different domains, with stakeholders acting at various hierarchical levels. Thus providing insight into the tactics of the TI in order to enable stakeholders to anticipate and pre-empt the kinds of alliances the TI may attempt to build; stimulating academicians and researchers to undertake in-depth analysis into various strategies and therefore underscoring the need to ensuring transparency in official interaction with the TI and its representatives.

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Evidence on Article 5.3 of FCTC (Tobacco Industry Interference in Tobacco Control Activities) in India - A Qualitative Scoping Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-54074/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sonu Goel ◽

Sitanshu Sekhar Kar ◽

Madhur Verma ◽

Parthibane Sivanantham ◽

Bijay Nanda Naik

Keyword(s):

Tobacco Control ◽

Tobacco Industry ◽

Study Participant ◽

Control Measures ◽

Socially Responsible ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Control Laws ◽

Qualitative Research Design ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

Barriers And Challenges

Abstract Background: Tobacco Industry (TI) strives to portray itself as being “socially responsible” and contest for pertinent decision-making positions, which it uses to deter, delay or dilute tobacco control measures. There is little documented evidence of Tobacco Industry Interference (TII) from India, the scope of their interference and challenges faced by the experts for effective tobacco control.Methods: A cross-sectional qualitative research design, based upon in-depth interviews (N=26), was used to explore the opinion of key stakeholders regarding TII in India. The interview schedule collected information about the socio-demographic information of the study participant, the participant’s roles and responsibilities in tobacco control, the nature of TII faced by the participant, means of influence by TI, barriers and challenges to tobacco control efforts using a set of questions. Principles of the ‘grounded theory’ were used to understand beliefs and thoughts of key-experts about TII in India, its interactions and interference at various levels. Results: Most of the respondents were engaged in tobacco control, training, advocacy, and awareness generation activities from the last 5-10 years or more. The respondents defined the TI and its scope as per their experience. We identified six major domains (Influencing the policy and administrative decisions, Interference with implementation of tobacco control laws and activities, False propaganda and hiding the truth, manipulating front action groups, Rampant tobacco advertising and promotion activities, and others) under which TII activities can be classified comprehensively. Conclusions: The activity documented a significant level of TII in different domains with stakeholders acting at various hierarchical levels. This can help to provide insights about the nefarious tactics of TI, enable stakeholders to anticipate and pre-empt the kinds of alliances the TI may attempt to build, stimulate academicians and researchers to undertake in-depth analysis into various strategies and underscore the need for ensuring transparency in official interactions with the TI and their representatives.

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“It is merely a paper tiger.” Battle for increased tobacco advertising regulation in Indonesia: content analysis of news articles

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016975 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (9) ◽

pp. e016975 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Putu Ayu Swandewi Astuti ◽

Becky Freeman

Keyword(s):

Content Analysis ◽

Tobacco Control ◽

News Media ◽

Tobacco Industry ◽

Control Policy ◽

Kappa Statistic ◽

Policy Instrument ◽

News Article ◽

Tobacco Advertising ◽

Adoption And Implementation

ObjectiveAt the end of 2012, the Indonesian government enacted tobacco control regulation (PP 109/2012) that included stricter tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) controls. The PP did not ban all forms of TAPS and generated a great deal of media interest from both supporters and detractors. This study aims to analyse stakeholder arguments regarding the adoption and implementation of the regulation as presented through news media converge.DesignContent analysis of 213 news articles reporting on TAPS and the PP that were available from the Factiva database and the Google News search engine.SettingIndonesia, 24 December 2012–29 February 2016.MethodsArguments presented in the news article about the adoption and implementation of the PP were coded into 10 supportive and 9 opposed categories. The news actors presenting the arguments were also recorded. Kappa statistic were calculated for intercoder reliability.ResultsOf the 213 relevant news articles, 202 included stakeholder arguments, with a total of 436 arguments coded across the articles. More than two-thirds, 69% (301) of arguments were in support of the regulation, and of those, 32.6% (98) agreed that the implementation should be enhanced. Of 135 opposed arguments, the three most common were the potential decrease in government revenue at 26.7% (36), disadvantage to the tobacco industry at 18.5% (25) and concern for tobacco farmers and workers welfare at 11.1% (15). The majority of the in support arguments were made by national government, tobacco control advocates and journalists, while the tobacco industry made most opposing arguments.ConclusionsAnalysing the arguments and news actors provides a mapping of support and opposition to an essential tobacco control policy instrument. Advocates, especially in a fragmented and expansive geographic area like Indonesia, can use these findings to enhance local tobacco control efforts.

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Tobacco and E-Cigarettes Point of Sale Advertising—Assessing Compliance with Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship Bans in Poland

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18041976 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 1976

Author(s):

Kinga Polanska ◽

Dorota Kaleta

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

Tobacco Control ◽

Tobacco Industry ◽

Tobacco Products ◽

Tobacco Advertising ◽

Point Of Sale ◽

The Public ◽

Cigarette Advertising ◽

Before And After ◽

Minimum Age

The objective of this study was to evaluate compliance with the ban on tobacco and e-cigarette products advertising at point of sale (POS) before and after amendment of the Polish Tobacco Control Act. Data were collected, using an observation checklist, between March and October 2014 (n = 1450 POS) and between March and October 2019 (n = 1320 POS). Ban on tobacco and e-cigarette advertising at POS is commonly violated in Poland. In all POS, at least one form (including tobacco products display) of tobacco advertising was found in 2014 and in 2019. The most common types of tobacco advertising in 2014 were change and counter mats (61%, 42%), posters (38%) and illuminated banners (37%). In 2019, a decrease in promoting tobacco products in the form of mats (p ≤ 0.001), posters and boards (p < 0.001) but an increase in video screens were observed (from 8% in 2014 to 30% in 2019; p < 0.001). A significant increase in the presence of any e-cigarette ads, including e-cigarette displays, illuminated banners and video screens, was observed in 2019 as compared to 2014 (90% vs. 30%; 89% vs. 20%; 31% vs. 2%; 31% vs. 0.5%; p < 0.001). The minimum age or a no-sale-to-minors signs for tobacco and e-cigarettes were not sufficiently placed in POS to comply with the Act. Poor enforcement of the ban on tobacco and e-cigarette ads at POS provides the tobacco industry with an opportunity to promote their products using unlawful ways. There is a need to educate the public, retailers and civil society with respect to their legal responsibilities and roles.

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Better Understanding Youth Attitudes towards Tobacco Control Laws

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e628622012-557 ◽

2005 ◽

Author(s):

T. Williams ◽

S. Pokorny ◽

L. Jason

Keyword(s):

Tobacco Control ◽

Control Laws ◽

Youth Attitudes

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Needs of LMIC-based tobacco control advocates to counter tobacco industry policy interference: insights from semi-structured interviews

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044710 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. e044710

Author(s):

Britta Katharina Matthes ◽

Lindsay Robertson ◽

Anna B Gilmore

Keyword(s):

Tobacco Control ◽

Structural Changes ◽

Tobacco Industry ◽

Control Policy ◽

Qualitative Description ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Middle Income ◽

Adoption And Implementation ◽

National Coalition ◽

Industry Policy

IntroductionAdvocacy is vital for advancing tobacco control and there has been considerable investment in this area. While much is known about tobacco industry interference (TII), there is little research on advocates’ efforts in countering TII and what they need to succeed. We sought to examine this and focused on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where adoption and implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) tend to remain slower and weaker.MethodWe interviewed 22 advocates from eight LMICs with recent progress in a tobacco control policy. We explored participants’ experiences in countering TII, including the activities they undertake, challenges they encounter and how their efforts could be enhanced. We used Qualitative Description to analyse transcripts and validated findings through participant feedback.ResultsWe identified four main areas of countering activities: (1) generating and compiling data and evidence, (2) accessing policymakers and restricting industry access, (3) working with media and (4) engaging in a national coalition. Each area was linked to challenges, including (1) lack of data, (2) no/weak implementation of FCTC Article 5.3, (3) industry ties with media professionals and (4) advocates’ limited capacity. To address these challenges, participants suggested initiatives, including access to country-specific data, building advocates’ skills in compiling and using such data in research and monitoring, and in coalition development; others aiming at training journalists to question and investigate TII; and finally, diverse interventions intended to advance a whole-of-government approach to tobacco control. Structural changes to tobacco control funding and coordination were suggested to facilitate the proposed measures.ConclusionThis research highlights that following years of investment in tobacco control in LMICs, there is growing confidence in addressing TII. We identify straightforward initiatives that could strengthen such efforts. This research also underscores that more structural changes to enhance tobacco control capacity building should be considered.

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Analysis of the tobacco industry’s interference in the enforcement of health warnings on tobacco products in Brazil

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/0102-311x00120715 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 33 (suppl 3) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Cristina de Abreu Perez ◽

Vera Luiza da Costa e Silva ◽

Stella Aguinaga Bialous

Keyword(s):

Interest Groups ◽

Tobacco Control ◽

Tobacco Industry ◽

Strong Impact ◽

Health Warnings ◽

Tobacco Products ◽

Tobacco Control Policies ◽

The Relationship ◽

Original Information ◽

Regulatory Measure

Abstract: This article aims to analyze the relationship between the Brazilian government’s adoption of a regulatory measure with a strong impact on the population and the opposition by invested interest groups. The methodology involves the analysis of official documents on the enforcement of health warnings on tobacco products sold in Brazil. In parallel, a search was conducted for publicly available tobacco industry documents resulting from lawsuits, with the aim of identifying the industry’s reactions to this process. The findings suggest that various government acts were affected by direct interference from the tobacco industry. In some cases the interventions were explicit and in others they were indirect or difficult to identify. In light of the study’s theoretical framework, the article provides original information on the Brazilian process that can be useful for government policymakers in the strategic identification of tobacco control policies.

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