December 17, 2002
Profits Over People, a new report released today by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) shows that transnational tobacco companies have engaged in active comprehensive campaigns of deception over the last decade in Latin America and the Caribbean regarding the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and the nature of tobacco company marketing activities. These campaigns were designed to delay or avoid tobacco marketing restrictions and restrictions on smoking.
The report is the result of over a year of investigation by a team of researchers into more than 10,000 pages of internal tobacco company documents. The documents are primarily from Philip Morris and British American Tobacco, who together have most of the market share in Latin America and the Caribbean, and were obtained through the Internet and through the Guildford depository in the United Kingdom. The report shows that the tobacco companies:
· hired scientists throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to misrepresent the science linking secondhand smoke to serious diseases, while cloaking in secrecy any connection of these scientists with the tobacco industry;
· designed "youth smoking prevention" campaigns and programs primarily as public relations exercises aimed at deterring meaningful regulation of tobacco marketing;
· had detailed knowledge of smuggling networks and markets and actively sought to increase their share of the illegal market by structuring marketing campaigns and distribution routes around it; and
· enjoyed access to key government officials and succeeded in weakening or killing tobacco control legislation in a number of countries.
The investigation consistently points to the discrepancy between the measures that tobacco companies internally admit to be the greatest threats to their sales, and those that they champion in public. For example, the companies have publicly denied the connection between smoking initiation and tobacco advertising, but internally acknowledge that advertising bans are a threat to tobacco sales, and a key priority for thwarting regulatory action.
A major tactic to counter the "adverse legislative climate in the region" has been the promotion of tobacco industry-sponsored youth smoking prevention campaigns which focus not on health, but that "smoking is not appropriate for young people." The main objective of these campaigns is to portray the industry as a concerned corporate citizen, and smoking as an "adult" behavior. Notably absent from the stated objectives of these campaigns in the documents reviewed was the goal of reducing youth tobacco use.
"This report demonstrates that the priorities PAHO has identified for tobacco control – bans on promotion, increased tobacco taxes, and smoke-free environments – are on the right track," said PAHO Director Dr. George Alleyne. "The tobacco companies' internal discussions confirm that these are the measures that affect tobacco use the most."
Dr. Alleyne also urged governments in the Americas to view tobacco industry recommendations regarding tobacco control with skepticism, and to avoid partnerships with the industry.
"PAHO and governments have a responsibility to listen to credible, independent experts when making decisions that affect public health. The tobacco companies are not credible experts on those issues of public health that relate to their vital interests," he said. Tobacco products kill close to five million people worldwide every year, and one million in the Americas alone.
Ministers of health of the Americas, at PAHO's Directing Council last year, recognized the "massive burden of tobacco use and exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke on the health of the populations of the Americas and on their health care systems." They urged the countries to participate in the development of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and to "develop national plans that, as part of a comprehensive approach, prevent initiation, noting the special vulnerability of children and adolescents, and promote cessation of tobacco use." The health ministers also recommended increasing tobacco taxes, gradually eliminating tobacco promotion, and protection of nonsmokers from second hand smoke in government facilities, health care facilities and educational institutions as well as workplaces and public spaces.
PAHO, which also serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization, was established in 1902. PAHO is celebrating 100 years of work with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and raise the living standards of their peoples.
About the Authors
Profits Over People was written by Stella Aguinaga Bialous and Stan Shatenstein. Aguinaga Bialous, a U.S.-based consultant and researcher originally from Brazil, has published extensively on tobacco industry internal documents as well as on other tobacco control issues. Shatenstein is a freelance researcher and writer specializing in tobacco control issues. He is a contributing editor to the journal Tobacco Control and editor of the GLOBALink News & Information electronic bulletin.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Policy Forum distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
