Big Tobacco Bribes, Undermines World Restrictions

by Gustavo Capdevila

All of the principal tobacco transnationals are attempting, through different means, to weaken or delay the process of drafting the convention text, said Kathryn Mulvey, of the U.S.-based INFACT, a grassroots organization that monitors the activities of major corporations.

Debate on the tobacco control convention, sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), began in October 2000 with the first round of negotiations held in Geneva.

Since then, approximately 10 million people have died worldwide from diseases related to tobacco use, said Mulvey.

Among the companies accused of interference are the world's three leading tobacco corporations, Philip Morris, British American Tobacco (BAT) and Japan Tobacco.

Organizations like INFACT, united through the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT), prepared a report that outlines attempts by the tobacco industry to sway public health policy worldwide.

The document demonstrates the need for the FCTC to establish limits on lobbying by the tobacco transnationals, according to Bejon Misra, of Consumer Voice, of India, another NATT member.

The lobbying efforts of these companies are particularly aggressive in developing countries, said Misra.

In India, "BAT and Philip Morris have stakes in the two largest Indian tobacco corporations, the largest being ITC (Indian Tobacco Company), and through ITC, BAT is lobbying the FCTC."

Organizations of advertisers in India have filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court to block legislation, now stalled in Parliament, that would ban tobacco advertising and promotion, said the activist.

ITC told the parliamentary committee that it "should not blindly follow WHO guidelines that are designed for economies like the United States." The labor unions also oppose the law, Misra said.

Nigerian activist Akinbode Oluwafemi, with Environmental Rights Action, reported a case in which tobacco industry leaders bribed officials at the Health Ministry of Malawi.

"A U.S. Congressperson," said Oluwafemi, "made public letters from tobacco industry executive Ron Tully in which he admitted to observing or participating in illegal activities, including bribes...and the destruction of nearly one million pages of documents."

Tully also admitted engaging in activities to discredit tobacco control activists.

Internal documents from Philip Morris reveal that the transnational hired the public relations firm Mongoven, Biscoe and Duchin (MBD) several years ago to fight the efforts of the FCTC.

Mulvey stated that MBD is "notorious for its behind-the-scenes efforts to undermine advocacy on consumer and environmental protection."

Meanwhile, Japan Tobacco hired "conservative British ideologue" Roger Scruton to oversee the corporation's response to the convention. His recommended strategies included placing "articles in the influential media, whose effect will be to discredit the FCTC process."

The WHO made Scruton's relationship with Japan Tobacco public in January, and he immediately lost his jobs as commentator for the Wall Street Journal and as a columnist in the British Financial Times, said Mulvey.

The NATT report also mentions that the Bush administration "supported a last-minute proposal, backed by lobbyists for the tobacco industry, to use anti-terrorism legislation to protect U.S. tobacco corporations from international lawsuits over smuggling and money laundering."

"But the initiative ran into strong opposition and was defeated," said the Infact activist.

Oluwafemi said the NATT report demonstrates "the long and powerful reach" of Philip Morris, BAT and Japan Tobacco, but that NGOs are closely tracking the tactics of the major transnationals in the current round of negotiations on tobacco control.

The Nigerian activist called on all countries to "keep the momentum of the world's first public health treaty strong."