Choosing profit over people
DECEPTION, ACCORDING to the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), is the name of the game being played by transnational
tobacco companies in countries of Latin America and the Caribbean when it comes to disclosing information on the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and the nature of the companies' marketing activities.
Results of a year-long investigation by PAHO of 10,000 pages of internal tobacco company documents, primarily from Philip Morris and British American Tobacco (BAT), allege that these "active comprehensive campaigns of deception campaign" have been going on in the region for the last 10 years. The public relations campaigns, the report states, were primarily designed to delay or avoid tobacco marketing restrictions, tax increases and restricitons on public and workplace smoking. The report, titled Profit over People indicates specifically that the companies:
were intensely competitive but collaborated in campaigns against common threats to the industry hired scientists throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to misrepresent the science linking second-hand smoke to serious diseases, while cloaking in secrecy any connection of these scientists with the tobacco industry designed "youth smoking prevention" campaigns and programmes 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 enjoyed access to key government officials and succeeded in weakening or killing tobacco control legislation in a number of countries.
PAHO states that their investigations consistently point to discrepancy between the measures that tobacco companies internally admit to be the greatest threats to their sales and those that they champion in public. Also a major tactic to counter the "adverse legislative climate in the region" according to PAHO, has been the promotion of tobacco industry-sponsored youth smoking prevention campaigns focusing not on health but that "smoking is not appropriate for young people".
Tobacco's effects are overstated
IT IS the view of British American Tobacco (BAT) that many claims against environmental tobacco smoke have been overstated. This view according to Patrick Smith, Carreras Group's head of Corporate & Regulatory Affairs, is based on the assessment of the available science.
"Specifically, BAT does not believe that it has been shown to cause chronic diseases, such as lung cancer, cardiovascular disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on adult non-smokers," Mr. Smith said in a written response to questions posed by the Gleaner.
The Carreras Group Limited in Kingston is a part of the British American Tobacco (BAT) global group by virtue of BAT's takeover of the Rothmans Group.
Mr. Smith, however stated that BAT accepts that environmental tobacco smoke is an issue of public importance and believes that smokers should be mindful of the comfort of others and should not smoke around young children and those who suffer from respiratory problems such as asthma.
To counter the claim of deception, Mr. Smith states that BAT has held three media conference between 1998 and 2000, all in conjunction with the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago and that at the last such conference in September 2000 representatives from PAHO, BAT and media were able to exchange views.
BAT states that cigarette smoking is the choice made by an informed adult and that in Jamaica "we believe that the minimum age for retail access to tobacco products should be 18 years old".
On the issue of youth smoking, Mr. Smith said that clearly the Cigarette Company of Jamaica (CCJ) believes that youth should not smoke, and wherever possible this message is communicated.
"We are working with government to ensure that appropriate messages to this effect are communicated. The media will appreciate the fact that CCJ has not embarked on any publicly seeking ventures in this regard, as it is a fundamental requirement of society and not a public relations tool," Mr. Smith said.
He further states that the CCJ was an invited participant in the development of the health warning which is required by law in Jamaica. All packaging, he said, bears the health warning as is appropriate to Jamaica.
Furthermore, he states that CCJ communicates the health warning on all of its branded communication including posters, advertising materials including billboards, press advertising and so on wherein these comply with the marketing standards.
