By their words: A critical discourse
analysis of stakeholders viewpoints
on the Nigerian Tobacco Control Bill
Adebiyi A.O, Adedokun O, Popoola O.
Presented at the Researcher Conference on Tobacco Control in Africa
17th July, 2014
Outline
Introduction
Critical Discourse Analysis
Methodology
Results
Conclusion
Introduction
• The Nigerian effort to pass a comprehensive
tobacco control bill was stalled in 2012 with the
non-assent of the bill by Mr. President
• Reasons given for the non-assent included:
– Concerns about trade
– Role conflicts of governmental departments
• It is not unlikely that these are proxies for Tobacco
Industry interference in tobacco control
• Article 5.3 of the FCTC encourages countries to
protect tobacco control policies from commercial
and other vested interests of the tobacco industry
Introduction
• Interference of the tobacco industry (TI) may be
subtle i.e.,
– promoting certain narratives
– channeling discourses in dominant contextual
pathways i.e., poverty/unemployment
• Use of linguistic means to intensify inequities in
society is one of the subtlest tools ever used by TI
• Discourse is a function of the pervading social,
economic and political contexts as well as the
belief systems which offers the opportunity for
interpretation (Perakyla 2005)
Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
• Monitoring of TI influence in Nigeria must take
into cognizance the context in which social
power dominance operates
• CDA is a special approach which focuses on
the meanings and relationships of power,
dominance and control in written, oral, and
visual language (Wodak 2004)
• CDA is concerned with uncovering discursive
ways like manipulation, legitimation and
manufacture of consent to influence action in
favour of the powerful like TI
Objectives
• Identify dominant themes/areas of dissent on
proposed tobacco control bill
• Assess power context in current tobacco
discourse
• Determine overlaps between stakeholder and
TI perspectives in TC
Methodology
• Method: CDA – has been used previously in
tobacco control research i.e., testimony of
industry, government and lay activists in
congressional hearings on tobacco (Murphy
2001)
• Source documents:
– Summary/transcripts accounts of public hearing on
tobacco control 2009
– Presentations by key governmental agencies at public
fora
– Textual accounts of tobacco industry line of defense
– Historical records of tobacco industry narratives
Analytical approach
• Thematic: Use of Atlas ti to identify common themes
• Theory based: Identification of discourse pathways that
follow social power bias
• Discourse analysis:
–
–
–
–
argumentation strategies
intrinsic logic and composition of text
stated implications and insinuations
vocabulary and style
• Modified Delphi:
– Two researchers compared the findings from the various
documents with that of TI independently
– Points of divergence were discussed and consensus reached
– The linguistic expert examined every document for vocabulary
and style
Results
• The dominant themes:
– Composition of National Tobacco Control
Committee
– Trade and poverty related
– Automated Vending Machines (AVMs)
– Designated Smoking Areas (DSA’s)
– Regulation
– Reporting
Composition of NATOC
• “The need to expunge clause 2(i) of the bill which
wants to establish a committee, the National
Tobacco Control committee for the control and
regulation of tobacco since agencies such as SON
and APCON are already doing this”.
– At least two governmental agencies had this line of
discourse similar to TI
– This is based on the TI fear that it would make the
Minister of Health very powerful through the organ of
the NATOC to prescribe new guidelines for labeling
and packaging.
– The strategy of the TI is based on the mutual distrust
and rivalry amongst governmental agencies
Trade and poverty related
• “ The law is too stringent and may harm trade and
philanthropy”
• “ Increased taxation will promote smuggling”
• “Philanthropy should not be sacrificed at the alter
of tobacco control”
• “Moderate the excess in this bill by considering
the fate of about 500, 000 people that could lose
their jobs if tobacco production is banned”
– Premised on the corporate social responsibility of BAT
and the pervading poverty discourse on-going in
Nigeria which is unrelated to tobacco but which
presents a unique opportunity for ‘manufacturing
consent’
AVM’s and DSA’s
• “ Automated vending machines shall only be displayed
in designated smoking areas’
• “two hundred and fifty meters should be the limits of
access restriction”
• “ Most under-aged children who buy cigarettes are
usually sent by their parents”
– This is based on the warped discourse that ‘tobacco is an
adult decision’ so we should make sure young people less
than 18 years are prevented from buying cigarettes while
preserving the right of the adult to smoke
– This argumentation strategy is synonymous with the TI and
this is simply to provide obfuscation for the real purpose
of their argument which is to create an opportunity for
youngsters to access cigarettes through AVM’s
Regulation, packaging and reporting
• “…… is already empowered by law to legislate and enforce
product standard – including packaging”
• “manufacturers should have a right to preserve its
trademark”
• “No need for reporting about contents to Ministry of
health since…… already collects information from TI”
• “The specifications (standards)are minimum
requirements, compliance to the standard is mandatory
but leaves room for continual improvement in product
design”
– Based on the delusion that regulatory bodies in Nigeria can work with TI to
make tobacco products safer
– One regulatory body in Nigeria sees TI as a stakeholder, so it is easier to be
lenient with TI under the pretence of stakeholder sensitization
– The issue of mandatory reporting on contents to Federal Ministry of Health is an
albatross that TI tries to run away from so subtly introducing the issue of double
reporting into the consciousness of the regulatory body serves their purpose
Conclusion
• Discourse analysis shows significant overlap
between government agencies and some NGO
positions with TI narrative
• Valid threat of weakening the proposed
Tobacco Control Bill
• Proactive evidence based advocacy is required
• Mobilisation of professional associations to
provide needed pressure for a strong Bill
References
• Peräkylä, A. (2005): Analysing Talk and Text. in Denzin, N. K. &
Linkoln, Y. S. (eds.): The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research . Sage
Publications.
• Wodak, R., & Fairclough, N. (2004). Critical discourse analysis. Sage,
London, 197-213.
• Murphy P. Framing the nicotine debate: a cultural approach to risk. Health
Commun. 2001;13(2):119–40.
Thank you
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