Following revelations today that the makers of Marlboro
cigarettes (PMI) is seeking to infiltrate UK health policy,
charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is calling on
Government to reaffirm its commitments to protect health
policy from tobacco industry interests.
The Guardian and Channel 4's Dispatched have revealed
leaked documents setting out a PMI strategy to influence UK
health policy in a bid to further their commercial interests. The
documents illuminate the company's ‘normalisation’ strategy
arguing for a national ‘Tobacco Transition Fund’ that tobacco
companies would be able to influence the spending of. Their
proposed fund would seek to switch people to the companies’
alternative products. Alongside this Fund PMI wants to see
rules relaxed on advertising their heated tobacco products and
e-cigarettes to further increase its profits.
PMI’s proposals are in direct contrast to the model
proposed by leading health organisations for a fund to tackle
smoking. Earlier this month an ASH-led campaign [backed by Cancer
Research UK, British Heart Foundation, Royal College of
Physicians and others] was launched to call on Government to
commit to further bold action to realise the Government’s vision
for a smokefree country by 2030. Central
to the call to action is the creation of a
Smokefree 2030 Fund
resourced on a ‘polluter pays principle’ through a levy on big
tobacco companies that would be spent based on advice from health
experts rather than tobacco companies.
The Government indicated their interest in this policy in
last summer’s Prevention Green Paper. A response to the Green
Paper is keenly anticipated and must reiterate the Government’s
commitment to keeping big tobacco out of health policy in
line with the UK’s international obligations.
The UK is a signatory to the first global health treaty,
the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control(FCTC), which includes
a commitment to protect health policy from the commercial and
vested interests of the tobacco industry. The UK has been
rated first globally for its implementation of the FCTC including
the protection of health policy from industry interests.
Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive, ASH said:
“PMI’s ‘Tobacco Transition Fund’ may look like ASH’s
suggested Smokefree 2030 Fund
which follows the ‘polluter pays’ approach. But the aim, as set
out in the company’s ‘normalisation’ strategy revealed in
leaked internal PMI documents, is to rebrand it as a ‘trusted and
indispensable partner’ with the overarching goal ‘support of our
combustible and reduced risk products.’. This is completely
unacceptable. The tobacco industry is the most
profitable consumer business on the planet, selling products
which kill 7 million people a year globally and nearly 100,000 in
the UK alone. The industry can afford to pay and it should be
made to pay, not allowed a seat at the Government policymaking
table so it can ensure the Fund is used to further the
interests of its shareholders rather than public
health.“
She continued:
“The Government has put on the public record that its
aim to become smoke-free must be completely separate from the
commercial and vested interests of the tobacco industry. That’s
one of the reasons why the UK is ranked as the country with
least tobacco industry interference in policymaking, and smoking
is declining faster than anywhere in Europe, if not the world.
The Government has a legal obligation not to partner with tobacco
companies, and it must stick to its commitment not to do
so.”
ENDS
References
[1] The Guardian. Philip Morris drew up plan
for £1bn tobacco transition fund. 24
February 2020.
[2] ASH. Every day in England 280
children start smoking while Government action on its Smokefree
2030 pledge is awaited. 3 February
2020.
[3] ASH. ASH
Briefing on the Smokefree 2030 Fund. January
2020.
[4]. Department for Health and Social
Care. Advancing our health:
prevention in the 2020s. July
2019.
[5] World Health Organization. Article 5.3 of the WHO
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
[website]. Accessed 24 February 2020.
