The watchdog Stop of the tobacco industry (Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products) came out with a global index indicating the influence of the tobacco industry on public health policy. In her reports, the UK was found to be ranked highest when it comes to resisting external pressure while enacting anti-smoking strategies.
Request for the Freedom of Information (FOI) has constantly been submitted to the tobacco control policymakers throughout the UK. It is very clear that the request seems to have everything it takes to discredit the positions taken by the government, Public Health England, as well as several other charities government as well as different charities striving to show that our positive vaping environment is as direct product of the influence of tobacco companies.
When the new index was released, it surprisingly dampens the hope of the people who have been aspiring for FOI as they found out that UK happens to be the most successful at “resisting industry interference.”
Martin Dockrell from Public Health England expressed his happiness to the fact that the UK tops the list for resisting tobacco industry influence. He said it is no surprise to those who FOI them and those industries who get to read their regular and vibrant rejection.
“Korea, UK, Nepal, and Uruguay presently show a low level of tobacco industry interference in policy development”.
According to the author of the report “Out of the 33 countries, Japan is seen to experience the highest level of interference as well as poor implementation of Article 5.3 guidelines which is geared as protecting its measures on public health. Similarly, Bangladesh, Lebanon and Jordan are also found to be at the rock bottom in the implementation of self-protecting measures.”
Right after the above-mentioned four countries is the US (with total dependence on tobacco revenue in order to fund the Master Settlement Agreement bonds), China and India (have strong bonds with their national cigarette companies.)
“In most countries such as China and Japan, the government is known to receive some part of the largest tobacco companies in the country.”
Top 10 Worst Countries:
- 1.Bangladesh
- 2.Lebanon
- 3.Japan
- 4.Jordon
- 5.Indonesia
- 6.Egypt
- 7.China
- 8.Tanzania
- 9.United States of America
- 10.South Africa
In a country like India where there is a continued fight against harm reduction, the authors observe the Bidi industry in India and Bangladesh counter government’s efforts to tax bids. Bidi Owners Association in Bangladesh met the Commerce and Finance Ministers to submit their proposals for the government’s budget of the Financial Year 2018/2019. And this was made up of a request for the status of a cottage industry for Bidi industry as well as reduction in tax.
Resulting from this, the price for Bidi (non-filter) wasn’t changed in the FY 2018/2019 budget. The decision to add tax on Bidi in India was postponed in 2017 after the appeal from the tobacco lobby was considered by the Goods and Services Tax Council.
On the other hand, in the UK: The UK’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is saddled with issuing regular reminders in the delivery groups and officials to curtail their contact with the tobacco industry. in February 2019, is was recommended by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health that the DHSC “has to provide all the arms of Government […] advice on their duties to protect public health policy from the vested and commercial interest of the tobaccos industry with regards to the guidelines in Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC.”
Going further, the UK has “established a procedure and policy to disclose any record of meeting with its representatives and the tobacco industry.”
If not that the USA didn’t take tobacco industry representatives to the WHO meetings, they would have made it to the top four.