5 Tobacco industry tactics

WHO has identified strategies used by the tobacco industry to avoid, prevent, weaken and delay effective tobacco control policies.4 Below are some examples:

• Public relations: To mould public opinion, using the media to promote positions favourable to the industry.
• Consultancy: To recruit supposedly independent experts who are critical of tobacco control measures, to influence public debate and research.
• Funding research: To create doubt about evidence of the health effects of the use of tobacco products.
• Creating alliances and front groups: To mobilize retailers, advertising agencies, the hospitality industry, grassroots and anti-tax groups with a view to influencing legislation.
• Intimidation: To use legal and economic power as a means of harassing and frightening opponents who support tobacco control.
• Corporate social responsibility: To create an illusion of being a ‘changed’ company and to establish partnerships with health interests, and buy social respectability from arts, sports, humanitarian and cultural groups.
• Litigation: To challenge laws and intimidate tobacco industry opponents.
• Smuggling: To undermine tobacco excise tax policies and marketing and trade restrictions and thereby increase profits.

In recent years we have seen a development where the tobacco industry uses new tactics such as «greenwashing» (promoting sustainability, the environment and combatting child labour), influencer marketing on social media and funding research through supposedly independent foundations.