Countering the tobacco industry in your policy campaign

Countering the tobacco industry in your policy campaign Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids December 7, 2010

China’s Dominance Since 2001, CNTC has gained an additional 6.2% of the total global cigarette market

Growth of Transnational Tobacco Companies * Excluding China

Policy Campaigns • Expect that tobacco companies will be engaged in the policy makingprocess • It is essential to develop strategies to undermine the tobacco industry’s power before and during your campaign.

Overall Tobacco Industry Strategies • Create new users and keep existing ones • Legitimize themselves where they operate • Interfere with the policy making process UNDERMINE STRONG TOBACCO CONTROL POLICIES

HOW Their Strategies Impact Policy Change • 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 (hospitality, etc.) • Strengthens their arguments against proven policies • Blurs debates that should be black and white • Calms the OUTRAGE that is critical for action = INCREASES THEIR CREDIBILITY

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; • 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 • Advocate for strong tobacco control policies embodied in the FCTC.

Call to Action WE MUST create an environment that enables passage and implementation of strong tobacco control policies.

Prior to Launch of Campaign Become knowledgeable about the industry and its strategies, tactics, messages, and messengers in order to: • anticipate and plan actions to preempt industry efforts; and • respond to surprises in the midst of your campaign.

Learn About the Tobacco Industry • Who owns them • Their size, profits, CSR programs • Their target markets • Their lobbyists/government relations employees • Their allies and front groups • Their spokespeople in the media

Prepare for Common Tobacco Industry Strategies and Tactics

Long-Term Strategies to Create Favorable Policy Environment • Create allies and influence policy making and regulatory bodies by: • providing political donations, gifts, trips, and perks • funding CSR programs in policy makers’ districts • consistent lobbying presence • Use front groups as messengers • Fund “research” that supports its positions

Strategies to Defeat Strong Legislation Tobacco companies will: • Submit comments on draft legislation • Participate on committees and offer “technical assistance” • Promote ineffective voluntary regulation • Claim to support “reasonable regulation” • Introduce a weak bill • Get late night amendments

Understand TI Tactics and Messages • Identify the industry tactics and messages used against previous tobacco control bills • Anticipate them for policies you are working on: • Price and tax • Smoke-free • TAPS (includes CSR) • Warning labels

How to counter the tobacco industry and its allies? WHAT NOW?

Prior to Introducing a Bill • Identify issues that the industry will hit the hardest • Develop counter arguments and key messages • Identify methods to inform policy makers and the media about the legislation and industry strategies to defeat the legislation

After the Bill is Introduced • Use your knowledge to anticipate industry moves • Keep close track of policy, amendments, strategic maneuvers to slow it down or stop it • Watch for weaker alternative proposals • Develop strategies to counter or weaken industry position: • Keep allies informed and assist them with the development of rebuttals • Use the media • Expose front groups

Remember • The tobacco industry and its allies are your biggest opponents. • However, they are consistent and predictable: they will always try to undermine your efforts.

Additional Resources • Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Industry Watch page: http://tobaccofreecenter.org/industry_watch • Corporate Accountability • Protecting Against Tobacco Industry Interference: 2010 Global Tobacco Treat Action Guide http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org/sites/default/files/GTTAG_english_web.pdf • Factsheet- The Global Tobacco Treat: Protecting against tobacco industry interference http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org/sites/default/files/Article%205.3%20Fact%20Sheet%20ENGLISH%20Final.pdf • Factsheet- FCTC 5.3 Guidelines: Protection against the vested interests of the tobacco industry • List of 5.3 Victories: http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org/53-victories • Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) • Preventing Tobacco Industry Interference: A toolkit for policy makers and advocates based on the guidelines for the implementation of Article %.3 of the WHO FCTC. http://www.seatca.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=900:new&catid=1:regional-updates&Itemid=57 • ASH Australia • Countering Tobacco Tactics: a guide to identifying, monitoring, and preventing tobacco industry interference in public health http://www.ashaust.org.au/pdfs/TItacticsGuide.pdf • World Health Organization: • Tobacco Industry Interference with Tobacco Control: http://www.who.int/tobacco/resources/publications/tob_ind_int_cover_150/en/index.html • Guidelines for Implementation of Article 5.3: http://www.who.int/fctc/guidelines/article_5_3/en/

Countering the tobacco industry in your policy campaign