Taking Action Against Big Tobacco
Why it Matters
and
What You Can Do
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
July 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
- Examples of successful policy
campaigns
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 are not like other businesses.
They:
1.Intentionally make their products addictive, knowing that their
products kill
2.Use all means – legal and illegal – to sell their deadly products
3.Deceive the public and policy makers by attempting to appear
credible and trustworthy
4.Aggressively target vulnerable groups
5.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
– using corporate philanthropy
– funding “socially responsible” activities
– conducting media “trainings”
– funding supportive research
– creating/funding issues-specific alliances
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Tobacco Industry Strategies
• Interfere with policy making process.
They create allies and increase influence among
policy making and regulatory bodies by:
– 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
TI Tactics to Defeat Strong Legislation
Tobacco companies will attempt to:
• Pass a weak law
• Link to emotional issues
• Introduce bills to make you waste time and
resources by playing defense
• Hide their measure in an unrelated bill
• Influence legislators’ votes by gathering and
using information about their beliefs, interests,
constituents, favorite charities etc.
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 =
INCREASES THEIR CREDIBILITY
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Specific Examples
HOW Their Strategies
Impact Specific Policy
Campaigns
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
How TI Undermines Smoke-free Policies
1. Falsely claim public support for regulation
of public smoking
2. Propose ineffective voluntary regulation
or weak legislation to stop strong
enforceable laws
3. Create, influence and mobilize allies
4. Change product design and type
5. 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
1. Engages in marketing tactics that get around partial
APS bans
– Point of sale, sports and concert sponsorships, etc.
2. Conducts misinformation campaigns and mobilizes
allies/retailers to ensure partial bans
3. Challenges legality of comprehensive bans
– right to advertise legal product
– voluntary codes
– loss of advertising revenues
4. Corporate Social Responsibility IS Advertising and
Promotion
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
TI Strategies to Keep Prices Low
1. Directly lobby for favorable tax structure
2. Fight for tax equalization of different
tobacco products
– India (bidis) & Indonesia (kreteks)
3. 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
TI Strategies to Undermine Effective Health
Warnings
1. Creative means of communicating false
information on health benefits
–
Promote light and low tar, though they have no
health benefits. Use descriptors and color coding
to imply tar levels
2. Use packs to circumvent APS bans and
to mislead consumers
3. Launch misinformation campaigns
–
Aimed at retailers and public to oppose plain
packaging and standardized packaging of products
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
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 the 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
Article in Health Bill
defining tobacco as an
addictive substance
was deleted prior to
being sent to the
President’s office
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
Lessons Learned:
- Collaboration with entities outside tobacco control
- Public exposure leads to success
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
WHAT NOW?
How to Counter the
Tobacco Industry
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Learn About the Tobacco Industry
Compile information about tobacco
companies in your country:
– Their size, profits, CSR programs
– Who is on their boards
– Locations of corporate headquarters and
manufacturing plants
– Their spokespeople in the media and
with governmental bodies
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
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Monitor Tobacco Control Legislation
After the bill is introduced
– Track the bill carefully
– Watch for weaker alternative proposals
– Check all versions of a bill as it goes
through the process
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
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
Be Strategic and Focused
• Develop a Plan
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Clarify your goal
Gather background information about 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
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
Gather Background Information
• Conduct research to find out more about
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
Preparation for Policy Campaigns
Prior to introducing a bill:
– Identify and work with experts to provide data
to support the policy
– Identify and establish relationships with
journalists
– Identify and establish relationships with
friendly policy makers and staff of key
commissions and committees to educate
them about the issue, and to stay informed
about progress of the bill and TI involvement
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
• Experts provide credibility and data to
support the policy
• Partners may add credibility and reach
with different target audiences
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
Who is the Audience
• Target those with power and influence to
help achieve your goals
• Include the public in order to educate them
about industry motives and increase
support for tobacco control policies
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
What is the Message?
• Key messages should convey what the TI
is doing, why this is wrong, and what
should be done about it.
• Include messages that directly counter
industry positions or stories
• Tell a compelling story to:
– Motivate your audience 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
– Public 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 control advocates are the
tobacco industry’s biggest competitor
• The tobacco industry will pull out all the
stops when threatened so be prepared
and thorough
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org
• “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
http://tobaccofreecenter.org/industry_watch
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
www.tobaccofreecenter.org