1. Taking Action against Big Tobacco Why it Matters and What You Can Do
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
January 2010

2. Beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing!
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!

3. 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.

4. Maximize profits to fulfill duties to financial stakeholders
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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Tobacco Industry Strategies
Interfere with policy making process by creating allies and preserving 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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.

16. Countering the TI Must be Part of All Policy Campaigns
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.

17. 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.

18. 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

19. How to Counter the Tobacco Industry
WHAT NOW?
How to Counter the Tobacco Industry

20. EXAMPLES of SUCCESSES CSR in China Advertising Ban in Mexico
Political Interference in Indonesia

21. 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). 21

22. 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”

23. 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
February and March 2009
“Marlboro MXBeat concert defies the General Tobacco Control Law”
Lessons Learned:
Partnerships essential
Civil society can influence compliance and put government on notice that failure to enforce will be publicly exposed 23

24. Policy Interference: Exposing Political Corruption in Indonesia
GM Sudarta, Kompas (14 Oct 2009).
Article in Health Bill defining tobacco as an addictive substance was deleted prior to being sent to the President’s office  

25. 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

26. Monitor Big Tobacco Examples of sources to monitor Types of TI Tactics
Conduct community surveys
Track media
Check corporate websites
Read tobacco company annual reports
Read government minutes and reports
Cultivate relationships
Types of TI Tactics
Advertising, Promotion & Sponsorships
Corporate Social Responsibility Programs
Buying Influence
Interference in policy

27. 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

28. 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.

29. Be Strategic and Focused
Develop a Plan
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

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

34. 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

35. Evaluate Your Efforts During the campaign: At the end of a 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!

36. 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

37. 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