Taking Action against Big Tobacco
Why it Matters
and
What You Can Do
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
January 2010
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Presentation Outline
Tobacco Industry Wrongdoing
– Why we must act
– Strategies tobacco industry
uses to grow its business
How to counteract the industry
to achieve strong tobacco
control policies
Beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing!
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
FCTC Article 5.3 Guidelines
Principle 1: There is a
fundamental and
irreconcilable conflict
between the tobacco
industry’s interests
and public health
policy interests.
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Tobacco Industry Goal
Maximize profits to fulfill duties
to financial stakeholders
• Increase use of its deadly product
• Prevent the public and government from
taking action to stop business growth
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Tobacco Control Goals
Reduce tobacco-caused disease and death
•Decrease use of deadly tobacco products
•Change public opinion about tobacco use and
the tobacco industry
•Push for adoption and implementation of strong
tobacco control policies
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Why We Must Act
Tobacco companies have and never will be like
other businesses.
•Intentionally make their products addictive, knowing that their
products kill
•Use all means – legal and illegal – to sell their deadly products
•Deceive the public and policy makers by attempting to appear
credible and trustworthy
•Aggressively target vulnerable groups
•Use lawyers, lobbyists, and public relations firms to undermine
tobacco control
Now use strategies perfected in developed markets
to addict new smokers in emerging markets
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
The Tobacco Industry’s Death Toll
Currently:
• 1 in 10 deaths linked to
tobacco
• 4.9 million people die each
year from tobacco use
By 2030:
• Expected to be leading
cause of death worldwide
• 8 million people a year will
die from tobacco use
• 80% of those deaths will
occur in developing
countries
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Overall Tobacco Industry Strategies
• Legitimize themselves where they operate
• Interfere with the policy making process
• Create new users and keep existing ones
UNDERMINE STRONG TOBACCO CONTROL POLICIES
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Tobacco Industry Strategies
• Legitimize themselves where they
operate
– corporate philanthropy
– “socially responsible” activities
– media “trainings”
– funding supportive research
– creating/funding issues-specific alliances
UNDERMINE STRONG TOBACCO CONTROL POLICIES
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Tobacco Industry Strategies
• Interfere with policy making process by
creating allies and preserving influence among policy
making and regulatory bodies by:
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lobbying
political funding
drafting bills; submitting comments
participating on committees
providing political donations, gifts,
trips, and perks
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Tobacco Industry Strategies
• Create new users and keep existing ones
– advertising, promotion and sponsorships targeted
at kids, young people and women
– new product “innovations”
– expansion into emerging markets
– pricing strategies
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
HOW Their Strategies Impact Policy Change
– Strengthens their arguments against proven policies
– Makes it acceptable for political leaders to:
• Associate with them
• Accept their money
• Defend industry positions
– Enables them to enlist other businesses to support
them
– Blurs debates that should be black and white
– Calms the OUTRAGE that is critical for action
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
How TI Undermines Smoke-free Policies
• Falsely claim public support for regulation
of public smoking
• Propose ineffective voluntary regulation or
weak legislation to stop strong enforceable
laws
• Create, influence and mobilize allies
• Change product design and type
• Challenge legality of smoke-free laws
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
How TI Protects its Ability to Engage in
Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorships
• Engages in marketing tactics that get around
partial APS bans
–
direct advertising,
indirect advertising
• Conducts misinformation campaigns and
mobilizes allies/retailers to ensure partial bans
• Challenges legality of comprehensive bans
– right to advertise legal product
– voluntary codes
– loss of advertising revenues
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
TI Strategies to Keep Prices Low
• Directly lobby for favorable tax structure
• Fight for tax equalization of different
tobacco products
– India (bidis) & Indonesia (kreteks)
• Implement pricing strategies
– Add a Manufacturer’s Price Increase (MPI)
at the same time as tax increase
– Launch economy brands
– Introduce smaller pack sizes
Marlboro pillow packs, Philippines 2008.
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Countering the TI Must be Part of All
Policy Campaigns
1. Expose and counter the tobacco industry’s
wrongdoing that promotes tobacco use, the
tobacco industry, and weakens tobacco control
policies;
2. Use this information to discredit the tobacco
industry and create outrage among policy makers
and the public to stop their ability to influence policy
making; AND
3. Advocate for strong tobacco control policies
embodied in the FCTC and FCTC Guidelines.
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Call to Action
Monitoring and exposing tobacco industry
strategies are ESSENTIAL elements of our
policy campaigns.
WE MUST create an environment that
enables passage and implementation of
strong tobacco control policies.
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Themes to Counter the Industry
 Discredit them and remove them as
stakeholders
 Create outrage about their deadly tactics
to push decision-makers to act
 Expose the impact of their strategies on
tobacco control policies
 PUBLICLY link their bad acts to their real
goal – to maximize profits
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
WHAT NOW?
How to Counter the
Tobacco Industry
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
EXAMPLES of SUCCESSES
- CSR in China
- Advertising Ban in Mexico
- Political Interference in Indonesia
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
CSR in China:
Discredit tobacco sponsorship campaigns
(1) Ministry of Civil
Affairs canceled the
nominations of tobacco
companies for
philanthropy awards
(Nov 2008).
(2) Shanghai World Expo returned
RMB 200 million ($US 29.3 million)
Shanghai Tobacco Company to
support China’s pavilion (July 2009).
(3) 11th National
returned all donations
from tobacco companies
(Oct 2009).
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
CSR in China:
Discredit tobacco sponsorship campaigns
Essential Elements:
•Tobacco Control organizations partnered to write
letters, meet with officials, generate media stories:
China has an obligation to uphold FCTC
Sponsorships violate FCTC Articles 5.3 and 13
Responsible action calls for end to these practices
Lessons Learned:
- Partnerships lead to success
- With each victory, persuading decision makers gets
easier and TI sponsorship is viewed as not “normal”
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Ad ban in Mexico:
Exposing Illegal APS Activity
Essential Elements:
• Advocate for enforcement
– Proper age verification
– Enforced prohibited free handouts at
concerts
• Advocate for stronger laws
• Media advocacy
Lessons Learned:
February and March 2009
“Marlboro MXBeat concert
defies the General Tobacco
Control Law”
• Partnerships essential
• Civil society can influence
compliance and put government
on notice that failure to enforce
will be publicly exposed
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Policy Interference:
Exposing Political Corruption in Indonesia
GM Sudarta, Kompas (14 Oct 2009).
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Policy Interference:
Exposing Political Corruption in Indonesia
Essential Elements:
Tobacco control joined with Indonesian Corruption
Watch (ICW) to publicly expose potential tobacco
industry interference by:
- Police investigation
- Formal investigation by Ethics Council of Parliament
- Media advocacy
- Collaboration with entities outside tobacco control
- Public exposure leads to success
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Monitor Big Tobacco
Types of TI Tactics
• Advertising, Promotion
& Sponsorships
• Corporate Social
Responsibility
Programs
• Buying Influence
• Interference in policy
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
Examples of
sources to monitor
–Conduct community
surveys
–Track media
–Check corporate
websites
–Read tobacco company
annual reports
–Read government
minutes and reports
–Cultivate relationships
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Decide When to Act
When you learn about a TI activity, ask:
– Does it undermine or weaken our ability to reach our
policy goal?
OR
– Would exposure of the TI activity create outrage or
generate media?
If yes, then act!
Be timely – often requires rapid action
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Clarify your Goal
• What can you accomplish?
• How would it fit into your overall strategy?
– May directly address your policy goal now –
for example, a sponsored event may vividly
depict the need for a comprehensive tobacco
APS ban.
– May pay off dividends later- for example,
exposing TI bad acts may create public outrage
about the industry and undermine its influence.
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Be Strategic and Focused
• Develop a Plan
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Gather background information about the TI activity
Work with partners
Identify target audiences and how to reach them
Develop key messages
Identify the messengers
Identify and develop multiple strategies to convey
• Implement the plan!
• Track progress and evaluate results
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Gather Background Information
Conduct research to find out more about the
TI activity - who, what, where, when, and how
Gather background information on key
players involved in the TI activity – look for
points of vulnerability
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Partner with Other Organizations
• Working with groups that share similar
goals will help to achieve policy goals
• Partners may add credibility and reach
with different target audiences
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Who is the Audience and What is the
Message?
Target those with power and influence to help
achieve your goals
Key messages should convey what the TI is
doing, why the act is bad, and what should be
done about it.
Tell a compelling story to:
– Persuade your audience that the TI is not like
other businesses and it only acts to maximize its
profits
– Motivate them to speak up and act
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Who Can Reach Your Audience
Choose the best messenger for the audience
Consider all options including your partners:
•Who does your target audience respect or trust?
•Who is your target audience politically responsive
to?
Note: It also is important to avoid messengers your
target audience dislikes, distrusts or does not find
credible
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Strategies to Reach Your Audience
Identify the best ways to reach your audiences
Use multiple strategies:
•Earned media: articles, op ed pieces, letters to the
editor
•Paid media
•Meetings with policy makers or other officials
•Writing letters
•Demonstrations
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Evaluate Your Efforts
During the campaign:
– Evaluate strategies to be sure they are being
implemented and achieving your objectives
– Mid-course corrections must be made if
necessary to achieve success
At the end of a campaign:
– Assess what did and did not work
– Celebrate your Successes!
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Effective Advocacy
• Is timely
• Contains clear messages
– Exposes the TI tactic/activity
– Clearly conveys the need for action
– Uses the best-available evidence
– Includes a specific ‘ask’ for action
• Comes from a respected messenger
• Increases support and stimulates action
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Remember
• “Tobacco use is unlike other threats to
global health. Infectious diseases do not
employ multinational public relations firms.
There are no front groups to promote the
spread of cholera. Mosquitoes have no
lobbyists.”
WHO Committee of Experts Report
on Tobacco Industry Documents, 2000
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
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Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org