The tobacco industry in developing countries.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Sebrie E
PROVIDER: S-EPMC1363897 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Feb
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
The tobacco industry in developing countries.
Sebrié Ernesto E Glantz Stanton A SA
BMJ (Clinical research ed.) 20060201 7537
Similar Datasets
Project description:The tobacco industry's future depends on increasing tobacco use in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), which face a growing burden of tobacco-related disease, yet have potential to prevent full-scale escalation of this epidemic. To drive up sales the industry markets its products heavily, deliberately targeting non-smokers and keeps prices low until smoking and local economies are sufficiently established to drive prices and profits up. The industry systematically flaunts existing tobacco control legislation and works aggressively to prevent future policies using its resource advantage to present highly misleading economic arguments, rebrand political activities as corporate social responsibility, and establish and use third parties to make its arguments more palatable. Increasingly it is using domestic litigation and international arbitration to bully LMICs from implementing effective policies and hijacking the problem of tobacco smuggling for policy gain, attempting to put itself in control of an illegal trade in which there is overwhelming historical evidence of its complicity. Progress will not be realised until tobacco industry interference is actively addressed as outlined in Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Exemplar LMICs show this action can be achieved and indicate that exposing tobacco industry misconduct is an essential first step.
| S-EPMC4382920 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe Czech Republic has one of the poorest tobacco control records in Europe. This paper examines transnational tobacco companies' (TTCs') efforts to influence policy there, paying particular attention to excise policies, as high taxes are one of the most effective means of reducing tobacco consumption, and tax structures are an important aspect of TTC competitiveness.Methods and findingsTTC documents dating from 1989 to 2004/5 were retrieved from the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library website, analysed using a socio-historical approach, and triangulated with key informant interviews and secondary data. The documents demonstrate significant industry influence over tobacco control policy. Philip Morris (PM) ignored, overturned, and weakened various attempts to restrict tobacco advertising, promoting voluntary approaches as an alternative to binding legislation. PM and British American Tobacco (BAT) lobbied separately on tobacco tax structures, each seeking to implement the structure that benefitted its own brand portfolio over that of its competitors, and enjoying success in turn. On excise levels, the different companies took a far more collaborative approach, seeking to keep tobacco taxes low and specifically to prevent any large tax increases. Collective lobbying, using a variety of arguments, was successful in delaying the tax increases required via European Union accession. Contrary to industry arguments, data show that cigarettes became more affordable post-accession and that TTCs have taken advantage of low excise duties by raising prices. Interview data suggest that TTCs enjoy high-level political support and continue to actively attempt to influence policy.ConclusionThere is clear evidence of past and ongoing TTC influence over tobacco advertising and excise policy. We conclude that this helps explain the country's weak tobacco control record. The findings suggest there is significant scope for tobacco tax increases in the Czech Republic and that large (rather than small, incremental) increases are most effective in reducing smoking.
| S-EPMC3383744 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSince 2006, when Poland ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), there have been efforts to improve tobacco control regulation in the country. At the same time, at the European Union level, Poland took part in discussions over revision of the Tobacco Tax Directive and the Tobacco Products Directive. This study aims to explore the tobacco industry's tactics to interfere with the creation of those policies.MethodsAnalysis of 257 documents obtained through freedom of information request.ResultsWe identified three means that the tobacco industry used to interfere with tobacco control policies: creating a positive attitude, expressing a will to be a part of the policymaking process, and exerting pressure. We found that those tactics have often been used unethically, with the industry providing the government with ready legislation proposals, overstating its contribution to the economy and the government revenues, misrepresenting the illicit cigarette problem and misusing scientific evidence. The industry also used legal threats, including use of bilateral trade agreements, against implementation of tobacco control measures. The companies lobbied together directly and through third parties, with the cigarette excise tax structure being the only area of disagreement among the companies. The industry also pushed the Polish government to challenge tobacco control policies in countries with stronger public policy standards, including UK display bans and the Australian plain-packaging law.ConclusionsFrom an object of regulation, the tobacco industry in Poland became a partner with the government in legislative work. Implementation of provisions of Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC could prevent further industry interference.
| S-EPMC5036272 | biostudies-literature
Project description:An ecologic study was conducted on 177 countries which the information of tobacco tax and price and also Human Development Index (HDI) was available in 2014. In this study, the relationship between HDI and four reported indexes by World Health Organization (WHO) was studied. These four indexes included: Tobacco affordability, Taxes as a percent of price of the most sold brand (total tax), Price of a 20 cigarette pack of the most sold brand international dollars at purchasing power parity (Price_ppp) and Price of a 20 cigarette pack of the most sold brand in US$ at official exchange rates (Price_US$). The data of HDI and tobacco were mined from WHO and United Nations Development Programme sites respectively. To study the correlation between HDI and the variables of this study, Pearson correlation coefficient was used and also Linear Regression Analysis was used to study the relationship between HDI and the variables of the study. According to the findings of the linear regression analysis, there was a significant relationship between HDI and total tax (B = 0.81, CI 95%: 0.63-0.99) and tobacco affordability (B = --0.35, CI 95%: --0.42 _ --0.28). There was also a significant relationship between HDI whit price-ppp (B = 9.44, CI 95%: 7.13-11.75) and price-US$ ;(B = 11.97, CI 95%: 9.71-14.23). According to the findings of this study, less developed countries devote less tax on tobacco. Due to the rising trend of the prevalence and also development of non-communicable diseases such as lung cancer in developing countries, policy makers of these countries are required to design stricter policies toward tobacco production and supply as well.
| S-EPMC6129645 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionTobacco taxation is only effective in reducing consumption when it is translated into higher prices. This study aims to investigate to what extent the tobacco industry (TI) passes tax increases over to consumers by increasing the retail price of cigarettes in 12 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries.MethodsAfrican Cigarette Prices Project and WHO's Global Tobacco Epidemic Reports data were used to calculate the rate of tax pass-through by decomposing the retail price of cigarettes into tax and net prices between 2016 and 2020. Percentage change in net price was used to identify industry pricing behaviour, in both packs and single-stick sales. TI pricing strategies were examined by country, producer type, producers, and cigarette price segment.ResultsThere were mixed TI strategies, with taxes primarily overshifted (Botswana, Madagascar, Tanzania, Zimbabwe), undershifted (Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia) or a mix of both (Malawi, Nigeria). The detail varied between countries, over time, and between the different brands/segments offered. Patterns for single-stick sales were broadly similar to that of packs but with some differences observed in particular countries/years. Pricing strategies for the various transnational tobacco companies and domestic producers were similar but the changes in net price for the latter were larger. The country tax level/type and the size of tax change did not seem to be an obvious influence.ConclusionThis paper provides an overview of TI pricing strategies in response to tax increases in SSA. Governments must monitor how the TI responds to tax changes to ensure that tax increases are effective in impacting price.
| S-EPMC11877087 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesTo examine the tobacco industry's use of bar promotions, including their target groups, objectives, strategies, techniques, and results.DesignOver 2000 tobacco industry documents available as a result of the Master Settlement Agreement were reviewed on the internet at several key web sites using keyword searches that included "bar", "night", "pub", "party", and "club". The majority of the documents deal with the US market, with a minor emphasis on Canadian and overseas markets.ResultsThe documents indicate that bar promotions are important for creating and maintaining brand image, and are generally targeted at a young adult audience. Several measures of the success of these promotions are used, including number of individuals exposed to the promotion, number of promotional items given away, and increased sales of a particular brand during and after the promotion.ConclusionBar promotions position cigarettes as being part of a glamorous lifestyle that includes attendance at nightclubs and bars, and appear to be highly successful in increasing sales of particular brands.
| S-EPMC1766056 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionWhile most Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries have adopted the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), implementation and enforcement of measures are lacking in some low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the region. This study aimed to describe: 1) how the tobacco industry has undermined tobacco control efforts and adapted its tactics in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other external factors, 2) the political factors that hinder progress, and 3) the expert recommendations to overcome challenges of tobacco control in the ASEAN region.MethodsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, qualitative interviews were conducted with tobacco control experts to explore their perspectives and recommendations to address the barriers and challenges of tobacco control in ASEAN LMICs.ResultsEleven tobacco control experts participated in interviews. Five themes emerged from the data: 1) a shift to below-the-line marketing and digital technologies to target youth; 2) industry develops new tactics to undermine tobacco control; 3) cigarette packet branding - the last remaining marketing channel; 4) political factors hindering tobacco control; and 5) broader involvement and collaboration in tobacco control.ConclusionsThe tobacco industry continues to undermine tobacco control in ASEAN LMICs, shifting its marketing, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and lobbying tactics in response to changing regulations, digital technologies, and the COVID-19 pandemic. While lack of government leadership also hinders progress, full adoption of the FCTC and increased collaboration in tobacco control are recommended to overcome these issues.
| S-EPMC9724131 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The tobacco and nicotine industry has a long history of endangering the health and wellbeing of individuals, populations and society, including Indigenous peoples, via dubious practices and tactics that continue today. These tactics include generating opposition, fracturing consensus, dehumanizing groups and minimizing the perception of harms from tobacco use. This article offers guidance for people working in health promotion and tobacco control to align with the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which includes Articles on research, monitoring and information exchange regarding the tobacco and nicotine industry. Recommendations are given to resist the tobacco and nicotine industry's narrative in health promotion, research, evaluation and publications. Holding the industry to account provides a further step forward to eliminating tobacco disease and death.
| S-EPMC11579600 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We examined the relationship between the tobacco industry and the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology (RTP) using the Truth Tobacco Industry Documents Library and internet sources. We determined the funding relationships, and categorised the conclusions of all 52 RTP papers on tobacco or nicotine between January 2013 and June 2015, as "positive", "negative" or "neutral" for the tobacco industry. RTP's editor, 57% (4/7) of associate editors and 37% (14/38) of editorial board members had worked or consulted for tobacco companies. Almost all (96%, 50/52) of the papers had authors with tobacco industry ties. Seventy-six percent (38/50) of these papers drew conclusions positive for industry; none drew negative conclusions. The two papers by authors not related to the tobacco industry reached conclusions negative to the industry (p < .001). These results call into question the confidence that members of the scientific community and tobacco product regulators worldwide can have in the conclusions of papers published in RTP.
| S-EPMC5775030 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate the impact of tobacco industry interference on the implementation and management of tobacco control and the tobacco epidemic using the Tobacco Industry Interference Index (TIII) and MPOWER-a package of measures for tobacco control-and adult daily smoking prevalence in 30 countries.MethodsThe TIII was extracted from the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2019 and Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC). MPOWER measures and adult daily smoking prevalence rate were extracted from the World Health Organization (WHO) report on the global tobacco epidemic in 2021. We assessed the ecological cross-lagged association between TIII and MPOWER scores and between TIII and age-standardized prevalence rates for adult daily tobacco users.ResultsTobacco industry interference was inversely correlated with a country's package of tobacco control measures (β = -0.088, P = 0.035). The TIII was correlated with weaker warnings about the dangers of tobacco (β = -0.016, P = 0.078) and lack of enforcement of bans on tobacco advertising promotion and sponsorship (β = -0.023, P = 0.026). In turn, the higher the TIII, the higher the age-standardized prevalence of adult daily tobacco smokers for both sexes (β = 0.170, P = 0.036). Adult daily smoking prevalence in males (β = 0.417, P = 0.004) was higher in countries where the tobacco industry received incentives that benefited its business.ConclusionWhere the interference of the tobacco industries was high, national compliance with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was lower, and the prevalence of adult daily smokers higher. National governments and global society must work together to minimize the tobacco industry's efforts to interfere with tobacco control policies.
| S-EPMC10765652 | biostudies-literature