How the tobacco industry lies & spins the truth worldwide...

[Anna White]

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Dear Friends,

Thanks to all of you who responded to this summer's question re:
arguments that the tobacco
industry uses to fight, counter, and ridicule tobacco control efforts in
your state/country -- and effective, informed, creative rebuttals.

Please find the compilation of responses below. It is likely that many
of the industry arguments will sound familiar, regardless of your
geographic location, e.g. "We do not target minors, we are targeting
adults" (Sri Lanka). Others, e.g. "AIDS kills ten times better than
tobacco" (Togo), will be more or less familiar depending on your
geographic, economic, political, social and cultural context. The degree
of public awareness about tobacco control issues in your country may
also determine whether the tobacco industry continues to use certain
arguments, e.g. "tobacco is addictive, just like chocolate, coffee and
tea" (Chile) has become less common in countries where the tobacco
industry has been forced to publicly acknowledge the highly addictive
nature of its products.

We encourage you to send additional examples and possible responses for
inclusion in the online version of this list. Sharing ideas helps all of
us make the most of our collective knowledge and experience!

Best wishes,
Anna
Global Partnerships for Tobacco Control
Essential Action

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HOW THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY LIES & SPINS THE TRUTH WORLDWIDE
         and suggested counter-arguments
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Tobacco control is in many ways a "battle of memes." The dictionary
definition of meme is "an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads
from person to person within a culture." The most powerful memes spread
through repetition. The tobacco industry may have the money to fund
expensive public relations media campaigns to promote "tobacco-friendly"
ideas, but tobacco control advocates have truth on their side. Success
is often about finding compelling ways to communicate what we know and
believe in to the media, influential organizations, and decisionmakers.

For example, for many years the tobacco industry has fought smokefree
legislation in the U.S., using the "it's bad for business" argument.
But recent studies prove to the contrary, and tobacco control advocates
have been effective in getting that message out. As a result, the
industry uses the argument less and less. The tobacco industry has also
argued that smokers "have a right to smoke." But this principle is
easily countered with the principle that "workers' have a right to be
protected from class A carcinogens while on the job." Even language can
be important, down to specific terminology, e.g. "environmental tobacco
smoke" (a tobacco industry term) vs. the more accurate and descriptive
"tobacco smoke pollution."  Due to these and other counter arguments,
tobacco control advocates have successfully changed the nature of the
debate over smokefree public places and a steadily growing number of
states and municipalities have passed strong legislation.

The tobacco industry's propaganda machine is both global and local in
nature. Some industry arguments are common throughout the world.  Others
vary according to differences in economy, politics, and culture.
Likewise, counter arguments that work well in one country may or may not
be effective or understood in another. Below, is a list of tobacco
industry arguments from around the world, as well as some ideas for
responding to them. Have you heard them before? What would be an
effective way of countering them in your country?

AN INDUSTRY IN PUBLIC DENIAL...

"We are not recruiting children for smoking, instead we are trying to
maintain the continuity of existing smokers." (Sri Lanka)

"We do not target minors, we are targeting adults." (Sri Lanka)

"We do not make any attempts to target women." (Sri Lanka)

"Although we provide sponsorship for certain events, we do not promote
our products among them." (Sri Lanka)

"We carry out special promotions to those who are above 18 years." (Sri
Lanka)

HEALTH? BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ECONOMY?!

"We have come to create jobs for thousands and thousands of unemployed
Nigerians." (Nigeria)

"We are here to put food on the table, provide employment opportunities,
give your children scholarships." (Nigeria)

     Context: The two above statements are used by the tobacco
     industry in Nigeria to capitalize on the unemployment
     situation in the country.

"We are the highest contributors for the national income." (Sri Lanka)

"Do away with tobacco? What alternative resource would generate as much
income for the State?" (Togo)

     Context: Two years ago, we initiated anti-tobacco legislation
     which continues to lie dormant at the Parliament, whereas all
     the steps were carried out for its adoption. The principal
     reason is indeed, economic. The yearly consumption of the
     tobacco in 2002 is 13.978 tons. The value-added tax perceived
     is 30%. It is estimated that the law will cause a great
     economic vacuum. Also, Togo has a very flourishing seaport,
     where many cigarette products for Sahelian countries go
     through. Togo is therefore a key country for the tobacco
     industry, and the trade generates much incomes for the State.

"We provide jobs for 600,000 people (farmers, transporters, industry and
office workers, wholesalers and retailers) and contribute 8% to the GDP
of this country." (Uganda)

     Possible response: That doesn't give you a right to kill
     people. Your product still kills when used as intended. Your
     contributions to the economy do not make it right.

"Owing to the availability of white cigarettes and cigarettes being
smuggled into the country the government is losing revenue." (Sri Lanka)

"But what about JOBS?!" (USA - DE)

     Context and response: In Delaware, USA, during a hearing on a
     legislative effort to gut the state's recent smokefree law, a
     legislator grilled a young student advocate, asking him, "But
     what about JOBS?!" The student responded quickly and simply,
     "You can get another job, but you can't get another lung." An
     effective retort that avoided getting into a debate over
     questionable employment statistics generated by the tobacco
     industry and brought the focus back to the core health issue.
     In a country with a high unemployment rate, a different
     response might be more effective.

"Hunger kills thousands of individuals, tobacco nourishes thousands of
others and helps build the national economy." (Togo)

Note: The World Bank report "Curbing the Epidemic" is a good source of
information to counter the bogus economic arguments that the tobacco
industry uses http://www1.worldbank.org/tobacco/reports.htm

TOBACCO IS NOT A LEGITIMATE HEALTH ISSUE COMPARED TO...

"Death strikes even those who do not smoke, even newborns." (Togo)

"AIDS kills ten times better than tobacco." (Togo)

"Tobacco is not even a health priority for this country. Malaria and
HIV/AIDS are on top of the list, why don't you fight them instead of
wasting time on BAT which is already taking responsible action." (BAT,
Uganda)

     Possible response: Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable
     death in the world. There is no reason to wait for it to get
     worse in this country. Our success in fighting HIV/AIDS was
     because we took early action. Other bodies exist to fight
     malaria and HIV/AIDS there is not a single person in this
     country dealing with tobacco control. Leaving it to the
     tobacco companies is like leaving a leopard in charge of the
     gazelles.

BELIEVE US, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE

"Nobody asked us to stop advertising on bill boards. We did! Nobody
asked us to stop
advertising on radio and tv. We did! We are a responsible company."
(BAT, Uganda)

     Possible response: Yes BAT is a responsible company.
     Responsible for causing death and disease to millions of
     people. All that BAT has done is to shift its advertising
     campaign to places to point of purchase where you have money
     in your hand.

"We admit that there are issues with our products and that is why we are
working with the
bureau of standards to develop new warning labels." (BAT, Uganda)

     Possible response: The tobacco industry knew 40 years that
     tobacco was addictive and caused cancer and they chose to lie
     about it. It is your product, why do you need the bureau of
     standards to tell you what to write about it.

"Why do you refuse to talk to us? We are stake holders." (Uganda)

     Context: Uganda is in the grips of an 18 year old insurgence
     by the ironically called Lords Resistance Army that routinely
     abducts children and hacks of peoples body parts for anything
     as little as riding a bicycle. The Government has set up a
     peace team to negotiate with these rebels. Against this
     background refusing to talk to a tobacco company looks like
     stupidity. More so in the light that BAT has set up its
     corporate social responsibility and "independent" dialogue
     programmers that they make a point to invite us to every time.

     Possible response: People negotiate if they want the same
     thing. We want health BAT wants to make profits from a product
     that kills when used as intended. There is no common ground.

"Look what a great company we are -- we just donated equipment to a
hospital!" (Uganda)

     Context and response: In May, BAT donated $7,000 worth of
     equipment to a hospital in Kampala, Uganda, to show Ugandans
     what a "humanitarian" company they are. In countries that lack
     basic hospital equipment, it can be difficult to counter the
     positive public relations such a donation buys the tobacco
     industry. Sometimes eye-opening comparisons and a touch of
     humor are the best way to go. When asked to give his opinion
     on the matter, David Simpson (IATH, UK) offered the following
     quote to a Ugandan newspaper columnist: "This is hypocrisy of
     the highest order.  The tobacco industry giving money to
     hospitals is about as appropriate as:

     * the Devil sponsoring a Sunday School; or
     * mosquitoes sponsoring a malaria programme; or
     * rats donating to a city cleanup scheme."

ATTACKING PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCATES

"We are a business and we are making money. You pretend you are doing it
for love when you travel on all those trips around the world. Who pays
for them?" (BAT, Uganda)

     Possible response: That's what makes us different. To you
     money is the bottom line, even when you sell a product that
     kills to our kids and you lie about it.

SMOKERS SHOULDN'T BE TREATED UNFAIRLY

"Policies that restrict tobacco use at outdoor recreational facilities
will restrict tobacco users from these facitilities and events" (USA-MN)

     Possible response: Tobacco-free policies for recreational
     facilities and events do not restrict people from using these
     facilities or attending these events; rather, they only ensure
     that tobacco users refrain from using tobacco for a short
     period of time in order to protect the health of community
     memberss, and especially children, who are using these
     facilities.

     Read more: Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation's "Addressing Policy
     Myths: the Truth Behind Tobacco-Free Recreation" contains five
     myths that we regularly hear from city council or park
     commission members when we discuss tobacco-free policies for
     their parks.  Many of these myths mirror the arguments that
     arise around smoke-free worksite legislation, which is why I
     believe we hear them in our recreational policy setting as
     well.
     http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco/qofm/0307/usmn.pdf

MISCELLANEOUS

"Our products are of highest quality." (Sri Lanka)

"Be Correct" (BAT, Nigeria)

The local tobacco monopoly argues that tobacco is addictive, just like
chocolate, coffee and tea. (Chile)

MORE INFORMATION:

Read the July/August 2003 question:
http://lists.essential.org/pipermail/gptc/2003q3/000068.html

Notice any key tobacco industry arguments that are missing?  Got a good
response to one of the examples below? Send your ideas to Essential
Action <tobacco@essential.org> and we will add them to the online
version of this list.

FOLLOW UP EXERCISE: You may want develop your own list of talking
points, if you haven't already, to counter common tobacco industry
arguments in your country. Such lists can be useful in preparing for
media interviews, presentations to potential allies, and meetings with
decisionmakers. If you need additional information on a topic or are
having trouble coming up with a good soundbite to counter a specific
industry argument, ask your global partner and/or Essential Action for
ideas.

THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE FOR RESPONDING TO JULY/AUGUST'S
QUESTIONS:

CHILE - Tim Frasca, Fundacion CIPRESS
NIGERIA - Babalola Faseru, Dept of Community Medicine, University
College Hospital
SRI LANKA - Manjari Peiris, journalist
TOGO - EBEH Adayade Kodjo, ANCE/TOGO
UGANDA - Phillip Karugaba, The Environmental Action Network (TEAN)
USA - MN - Brittany Meyer, Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation

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Global Partnerships for Tobacco Control
Essential Action
P.O. Box 19405
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: +1 202-387-8030
Fax: +1 202-234-5176
Email: tobacco@essential.org
http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco
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