“Efforts to Reprioritise the Agenda” in China: British American Tobacco's Efforts to Influence Public Policy on Secondhand Smoke in China

English version České info

Background:
Each year, 540 million Chinese are exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS), resulting in more than 100,000 deaths. Smoke-free policies have been demonstrated to decrease overall cigarette consumption, encourage smokers to quit, and protect the health of nonsmokers. However, restrictions on smoking in China remain limited and ineffective. Internal tobacco industry documents show that transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) have pursued a multifaceted strategy for undermining the adoption of restrictions on smoking in many countries.

Methods and Findings:
To understand company activities in China related to SHS, we analyzed British American Tobacco's (BAT's) internal corporate documents produced in response to litigation against the major cigarette manufacturers to understand company activities in China related to SHS. BAT has carried out an extensive strategy to undermine the health policy agenda on SHS in China by attempting to divert public attention from SHS issues towards liver disease prevention, pushing the so-called “resocialisation of smoking” accommodation principles, and providing “training” for industry, public officials, and the media based on BAT's corporate agenda that SHS is an insignificant contributor to the larger issue of air pollution.

Conclusions:
The public health community in China should be aware of the tactics previously used by TTCs, including efforts by the tobacco industry to co-opt prominent Chinese benevolent organizations, when seeking to enact stronger restrictions on smoking in public places.

Vyšlo v časopise: “Efforts to Reprioritise the Agenda” in China: British American Tobacco's Efforts to Influence Public Policy on Secondhand Smoke in China. PLoS Med 5(12): e251. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050251
Kategorie: Research Article
prolekare.web.journal.doi_sk: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0050251

Souhrn

Zdroje

1. LeeKGilmoreACollinJ

2004

Breaking and re-entering: British American Tobacco in China 1979–2000.

Tob Control

Suppl 2

ii88

2. WrightAKatzI

2007

Tobacco tightrope—Balancing disease prevention and economic development in China.

N Engl J Med

356

1493

1496

3. GanQSmithKHammondSHuT

2007

Disease burden of adult lung cancer and ischemic heart disease from passive tobacco smoking in China.

Tob Control

471

422

4. HuT-wMaoZOngMTongETaoM

2006

China at the crossroads: the economics of tobacco and health.

Tob Control

i37

5. YangGMaJLiuNZhouL

2002

[Smoking and passive smoking in Chinese, 2002].

Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi

6. XuequanM

30 May 2007

Report: Passive smoking kills 100,000 Chinese annually.

China View

Available: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007–05/30/content_6170996.htm. Accessed 12 May 2008.

7. SiegelM

1993

Involuntary smoking in the restaurant workplace. A review of employee exposure and health effects.

JAMA

270

490

493

8. EisnerMSmithABlancP

1998

Bartenders' respiratory health after establishment of smoke-free bars and taverns.

JAMA

280

1909

1914

9. RepaceJ

2004

Respirable particles and carcinogens in the air of Delaware hospitality venues before and after a smoking ban.

J Occup Environ Med

887

905

10. FichtenbergCGlantzS

2002

Effect of smoke-free workplaces on smoking behaviour: systematic review.

BMJ

325

188

11. ChapmanSBorlandRScolloMBrownsonRDominelloA

1999

The impact of smoke-free workplaces on declining cigarette consumption in Australia and the United States.

Am J Public Health

1018

1023

12. Chinese Ministry of Health

2007

Report on Tobacco Control in China

Beijing

Chinese Ministry of Health

13. ChenM

2007

Economic concerns hamper tobacco control in China.

Lancet

370

729

730

14. HeimK

29 August 2008

Smoke-free China a marathon challenge.

Seattle Times

Available: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/olympics/2008123307_olykristi19.html. Accessed 6 September 2008.

15. HuangQ

28 April 2007

Green games help smoking ban.

China Daily

Available: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2007–04/28/content_862327.htm. Accessed 20 December 2007.

16. AssuntaMFieldsNKnightJChapmanS

2004

''Care and feeding'': the Asian environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) consultants programme.

Tob Control

Suppl 2

ii4

17. BAT China

{[}}No date]}

BAT China Action Plan for Communicating Position Papers

Bates no.:770002309. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ghi45a99. Accessed 28 December 2007.

18. BAT China

{[No date]}

BAT China Action Plan for Communicating Position Papers

Bates no.: 770002307. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ghi45a99. Accessed 28 December 2007.

19. DuXZhouBWuJ

1998

Lifestyle factors and human lung cancer: An overview of recent advances.

Int J Oncol

471

479

20. PayneA

19 January 1999

ETS China

Bates no.: 770002123. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/fhi45a99. Accessed 28 December 2007.

21. BarnoyaJGlantzSA

2002

Tobacco industry success in preventing regulation of secondhand smoke in Latin America: the {{“Latin Project”.

Tob Control

305

314

22. MuggliMEHurtRDBlankeDD

2003

Science for hire: a tobacco industry strategy to influence public opinion on secondhand smoke.

Nicotine Tob Res

303

314

23. BarnoyaJGlantzS

2006

The tobacco industry's worldwide ETS consultants' project: European and Asian components.

Eur J Public Health

24. TongEGlantzS

2004

ARTIST (Asian Regional Tobacco Industry Scientist Team): Philip Morris' attempt to exert a scientific and regulatory agenda on Asia.

Tob Control

Suppl 2

ii118

124

25. GarneDWatsonMChapmanSByrneF

2005

Environmental tobacco smoke research published in the journal Indoor and Built Environment and associations with the tobacco industry.

Lancet

365

804

809

26. GlantzSASladeJBeroLHanauerPBarnesD

1996

The Cigarette Papers

University of California Press

Available: http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft8489p25j/. Accessed 17 November 2008.

27. OngEKGlantzSA

2000

Tobacco industry efforts subverting International Agency for Research on Cancer's second-hand smoke study.

Lancet

355

1253

1259

28. MuggliMEForsterJLHurtRDRepaceJL

2001

The smoke you don't see: uncovering tobacco industry scientific strategies aimed against environmental tobacco smoke.

Am J Public Health

1419

1423

29. MuggliMEHurtRDBeckerL

2004

Turning free speech into commercial speech: Philip Morris' efforts to influence U.S. and European journalists regarding the U.S. EPA report on secondhand smoke.

Prev Med

568

580

30. DearloveJVBialousSAGlantzSA

2002

Tobacco industry manipulation of the hospitality industry to maintain smoking in public places.

Tob Control

104

31. LeavellNMuggliMHurtRRepaceJ

2006

Blowing smoke: British American Tobacco's air filtration scheme.

BMJ

332

227

229

32. World Health Organization

2005

Full list of Signatories and Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Available: http://www.who.int/fctc/signatories_parties/en/index.html. Accessed 20 January 2008.

33. World Health Organization

2003

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Art. 8.: Protection from exposure to tobacco smoke

Available: http://www.who.int/tobacco/framework/WHO_FCTC_english.pdf. Accessed 20 January 2008.

34. World Health Organization

2000

Tobacco company strategies to undermine tobacco control activities at the World Health Organization: Report of the committee of experts on tobacco industry documents

Available: http://www.who.int/tobacco/policy/who_inquiry/en/print.html. Accessed 31 December 2007.

35. MuggliMEHurtRD

2003

Tobacco industry strategies to undermine the 8th World Conference on Tobacco or Health.

Tob Control

195

202

36. CiresiMWalburnRSuttonT

1999

Decades of deceit: document discovery in the Minnesota tobacco litigation.

William Mitchell Law Review

477

566

37. MaloneREBalbachED

2000

Tobacco industry documents: treasure trove or quagmire.

Tob Control

334

338

38. BalbachE

2002

Tobacco industry documents: comparing the Minnesota Depository and internet access.

Tob Control

39. CollinJLeeKGilmoreA

2004

Unlocking the corporate documents of British American Tobacco: an invaluable global resource needs radically improved access.

Lancet

363

1746

1747

40. LeeKGilmoreACollinJ

2004

Looking inside the tobacco industry: revealing insights from the Guildford Depository

Addiction 99.

41. MuggliMELeGresleyEHurtRD

2004

Big Tobacco is Watching: British American Tobacco's surveillance and information concealment at the Guildford Depository.

Lancet

363

1812

1819

42. BAT

14 August 2000

Liver Foundation Evaluation Reports

Bates no.: 770001799. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ehi45a99. Accessed 23 December 2007.

43. No author

1997

Announcements.

Hepatology

517

519

44. Maoming Welfare Institute

{[}}No date]}

Madame Sun Yat-sen (Ching-ling Soong)

Available: http://www.maoming.homestead.com/soonchingling.html. Accessed 31 December 2007.

45. CORA {{[No date] Asia Pacific North 2000–2002 Company Plan

Bates no.: 325024795. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/qvg61a99. Accessed 28 December 2007.

46. BAT

5 February 1996

Minutes Smoking or Health Conference Beijing, 1997

Bates no.: 770003846. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/sji45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

47. BAT

5 February 1996

Minutes Smoking or Health Conference Beijing, 1997

Bates no.: 770003849. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/sji45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

48. [No authors listed]

2000

Hong Kong: Down at the fair.

Tob Control

49. [No authors listed] State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, China National Tobacco Corporation

Available: http://www.tobacco.gov.cn/yczxcontentgb.php?news_id=10650&type=. Accessed 31 December 2007.

50. BAT

1999

2000 Brand Plan - Kent, China

Bates no.: 770004381. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/lki45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

51. BAT

14 August 2000

Liver Foundation Evaluation Reports

Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ehi45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

52. BAT

14 August 2000

Liver Foundation Evaluation Reports

Bates no.: 770001805–23; 770001776–78; and 770002015–34. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ehi45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

53. [No authors listed]

12 September 1997

Disease display.

China Daily

54. BAT

14 August 2000

Liver Foundation Evaluation Reports

Bates no.: 770001776. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ehi45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

55. BAT

14 August 2000

Liver Foundation Evaluation Reports

Bates no.: 770001811. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ehi45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

56. BAT

14 August 2000

Liver Foundation Evaluation Reports

Bates no.: 770001804. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ehi45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

57. BAT

14 August 2000

Liver Foundation Evaluation Reports

Bates no.: 770001944. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ehi45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

58. BAT

14 August 2000

Liver Foundation Evaluation Reports

Bates no.: 770002296. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ehi45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

59. BAT

14 August 2000

Liver Foundation Evaluation Reports

Bates no.: 770001778. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ehi45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

60. BAT

14 August 2000

Liver Foundation Evaluation Reports

Bates no.: 770001779. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ehi45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

61. BAT

14 August 2000

Liver Foundation Evaluation Reports

Bates no.: 770002035. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ehi45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

62. BAT

14 August 2000

Liver Foundation Evaluation Reports

Bates no.: 770001772–73. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ehi45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

63. BAT

14 August 2000

Liver Foundation Evaluation Reports

Bates no.: 770001780. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ehi45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

64. DropeJBialousSAGlantzSA

2004

Tobacco industry efforts to present ventilation as an alternative to smoke-free environments in North America.

Tob Control

i41

65. [No authors listed]

1996

Horeca Workshop 15th-17th April 1996 Park Lane Hotel London

Minutes of Meeting

April 17, 1996.

Bates no.: 800027389. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/obb70a99. Accessed 27 December 2007.

66. BAT

30 September 1996

Consumer and Regulatory Affairs

Bates no.: 900004842. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/tbq72a99. Accessed 28 December 2007.

67. BAT

{[}}No date]}

Asia Pacific North 2000{{–2002 Company Plan

Bates no.: 325024798. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/qvg61a99. Accessed 28 December 2007.

68. PayneA

2000

STMA International Seminar Beijing May 2000—Smoking and Health Issues

Bates no.: 770007801. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ksi45a99. Accessed 29 December 2007.

69. WarrenN

11 September 1995

Technical Report

Bates no.: 900030731 and 900030733. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/api34a99. Accessed 28 December 2007.

70. BAT

21 May 1999

2000 Brand Plan—Kent, China

Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/lki45a99. Accessed 29 December 2007.

71. BAT

23 May 1996

Environmental tobacco smoke in China and the 10th World conference on smoking or health, Beijing, August 1997

Bates no.: 770003848. Available: http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/pji45a99/pdf. Accessed 23 December 2007.

72. BAT

23 May 1996

Environmental Tobacco Smoke in China and the 10th World Conference on Smoking or Health Beijing, August 1997

Bates no.: 770003840. Available: http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/pji45a99/pdf. Accessed 23 December 2007.

73. BAT

23 May 1996

Environmental Tobacco Smoke in China and the 10th World Conference on Smoking or Health Beijing, August 1997

Bates no.: 770003838. Available: http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/pji45a99/pdf. Accessed 23 December 2007.

74. BAT

8 May 1996

ETS Issues Training

Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/jni45a99. Accessed 29 December 2007.

75. BAT

China[No date]

Global Public Relations Company Recommendation of Communication Programme on ETS

Bates no.: 800282235. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/nwm71a99. Accessed 29 December 2007.

76. BAT China

{[}}No date]}

BAT China Action Plan for Communicating Position Papers

Bates no.: 770002304. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ghi45a99. Accessed 28 December 2007.

77. BoyseS

23 April 1996

Materials for Conference

Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/kni45a99. Accessed 29 December 2007.

78. BoyseS

{[No date]}

Asia Quotes

Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/lni45a99. Accessed 29 December 2007.

79. RobertsonJ

1 September 1997

Note from Joe Robertson to Chris Proctor regarding ISBE meeting

Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/wge24a99. Accessed 28 December 2007.

80. BAT China

{[No date]}

BAT China Action Plan for Communicating Position Papers

Bates no.: 770002308. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ghi45a99. Accessed 29 December 2007.

81. BAT

{[No date]}

Smoking and Health International Seminar{{—Report

Bates no.: 770008615–8617. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/sti45a99. Accessed 29 December 2007.

82. BAT

{[}}No date]}

Smoking and Health Seminar

Bates no.: 770005664. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/nmi45a99. Accessed 29 December 2007.

83. BAT

{[No date]}

Smoking and Health Seminar

Bates no.: 770005666. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/nmi45a99. Accessed 29 December 2007.

84. BAT

{[No date]}

Smoking and Health Seminar

Bates no.: 770005672. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/nmi45a99. Accessed December 29, 2007.

85. BAT

{[No date]}

Smoking and Health Seminar

Bates no.: 770005673. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/nmi45a99. Accessed 29 December 2007.

86. BAT

{[No date]}

Smoking and Health Seminar

Bates no.: 770005686. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/nmi45a99. Accessed 29 December 2007.

87. BAT

{[No date]}

Smoking and Health International Seminar - Report

Bates no.: 770008617. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/sti45a99. Accessed 29 December 2007.

88. BAT

23 September 1996

Seminar on Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation Technology

Bates no.: 770005917. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/dni45a99. Accessed 30 December 2007.

89. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

1986

The health consequences of involuntary smoking: a report of the Surgeon General

Washington (D. C.)

DHHS Publication No. (CDC) 87{{–8398

90. BAT

23 September 1996

Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation Technology

Bates no.: 770002484. Available: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/aii45a99. Accessed 31 December 2007.

91. [No authors listed]

21 December 1998

China Daily Study finds serious indoor air problem.

Global News Wire

92. HeJGuDWuXReynoldsKDuanX

2005

Major causes of death among men and women in China.

N Engl J Med

353

1124

1134

93. LuiJFanD

2007

Hepatitis B in China.

Lancet

369

1582

1583

94. Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

16 April 2007

Nearly 500,000 Chinese die of hepatitis B annually

Available: http://www.chinacdc.net.cn/n272562/n276003/17230.html. Accessed 22 January 2008.

95. World Health Organization [No date] Epidemic and Pandemic Alert.

Hepatitis B fact sheet.

World distribution map

Available: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/hepatitis/whocdscsrlyo20022/en/index1.html#world. Accessed 31 December 2007.

96. ApollonioDBeroL

2007

Industry Front Groups: A tobacco case study.

Journal für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit

341

348

doi:10.1007/s00003–007-0205–8.

97. ApollonioDBeroL

2007

The creation of industry front groups: The tobacco industry and “Get Government off our Back”.

Am J Public Health

419

427

98. World Health Organization

2003

Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Art

General Obligations

Available: http://www.who.int/tobacco/framework/WHO_FCTC_english.pdf. Accessed 20 January 2008.

99. [No authors listed]

1 May 2008

Beijing smoking ban goes into effect

Associated Press

Available: https://www.chinapost.com.tw/china/detail.asp?id=154611&GRP=N&sY=local%20news/beijing/2008&sM=05&sD=02&sN=Beijing-smoking&sPeriod=7. Accessed 18 November 2008.

100. Tornex

{[}}No date]}

Distributors

Available: http://www.tornex.com/distributors.php. Accessed 12 May 2008.

101. Tornex {{[No date] Distributor Pack

Available: http://www.tornex.com/newsandinfo/Distributor%20Pack%20(A)%2009.05.2006.pdf. Accessed 12 May 2008.

102. World Health Organization

2007

Protection from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke.

Policy recommendations

Available: http://www.who.int/tobacco/resources/publications/wntd/2007/who_protection_exposure_final_25June2007.pdf. Accessed 12 May 2008.

103. World Health Organization

2006

Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. List of decisions for document A/FCTC/COP/1/DIV/8 [Decision A/FCTC/COP1(15)

Documents A/FCTC/COP/1/DIV/8, pp. 45–48 and A/FCTC/COP/1/DIV/8/Corr.1, pp. 2–4]. Available: http://www.who.int/gb/fctc/PDF/cop1/FCTC_COP1_DIV8-en.pdf. Accessed 17 November 2008.

104. ZhouRChengY

2006

Counter-measures to the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and counter-policies for its impact on Chinese tobacco

Beijing

State Tobacco Monopoly Administration

262

278