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December 31st, 2004:

Asian Environmental Tobacco Smoke Consultants Programme

“Care and feeding”: the Asian Environmental Tobacco Smoke Consultants Programme

M Assunta, N Fields, J Knight, S Chapman – School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Correspondence to: Mary Assunta – School of Public Health, Room 129A, Edward Ford Building (A27), University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia; marya@health.usyd.edu.au

Study objective: To review the tobacco industry’s Asian environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) consultants programme, focusing on three key nations: China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.

Methods: Systematic keyword and opportunistic website searches of formerly private internal industry documents.

Main results: The release of the 1986 US Surgeon General’s report on second hand smoke provoked tobacco companies to prepare for a major threat to their industry. Asian programme activities included conducting national/international symposiums, consultant “road shows” and extensive lobbying and media activities. The industry exploited confounding factors said to be unique to Asian societies such as diet, culture and urban pollution to downplay the health risks of ETS. The industry consultants were said to be “…prepared to do the kinds of things they were recruited to do”.

Conclusions: The programme was successful in blurring the science on ETS and keeping the controversy alive both nationally and internationally. For the duration of the project, it also successfully dissuaded national policy makers from instituting comprehensive bans on smoking in public places.

See the full report on Asian Environmental Tobacco Smoke Consultants Programme.

Tobacco Industry Lobbying Against Tobacco Control In Hong Kong

Tobacco Control 2004;13:ii13-ii21

RESEARCH PAPER

“A phony way to show sincerity, as we all well know”: tobacco industry lobbying against tobacco control in Hong Kong

J Knight, S Chapman
School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Correspondence to:
Dr Jennifer Knight
School of Public Health, Room 129A, Edward Ford Building (A27), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; knightj@health.usyd.edu.au

Objective: To examine the tobacco industry’s efforts to influence public policy and block the legislative process on tobacco control in Hong Kong, 1973 to 1997.

Method: Systematic review of relevant tobacco industry documents made public via the Master Settlement Agreement.

Results: The tobacco industry in Hong Kong has sought to manipulate the policymaking process and delay the introduction of tobacco control legislation in Hong Kong from at least 1973. The industry ensured that each of the government’s initial meagre steps toward tobacco control were delayed and thwarted by drawn out “cooperation” followed by voluntary concessions on issues the industry regarded as minor. By the 1980s the government had became increasingly active in tobacco control and introduced a number of initiatives, resulting in some of the tightest legislative restrictions on smoking in Asia. The tobacco industry was successful in thwarting only one of these initiatives.

Conclusions: Throughout the 1980s and 1990s two factors played a significant role in hindering the tobacco industry from successfully blocking policy initiatives: a growing political imperative, and an active and sophisticated tobacco control movement. Political will to promote public health and a strong tobacco control advocacy presence can enable governments to resist the enormous pressure exerted upon them by multinational tobacco companies.

Abbreviations: B&W, Brown & Williamson; BAT, British American Tobacco; BRB, Broadcasting Review Board; COSH, Council on Smoking and Health; DBs, District Boards; HK, Hong Kong; LegCo, Legislative Council; PRC, People’s Republic of China; RJR, RJ Reynolds; TAHK, Television Authority of Hong Kong, TIHK, Tobacco Institute of Hong Kong