CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 50Global Public Health Policies and EpidemiologySmoking Behavior and CessationPublic Health Policies and Education

Success Counteracting Tobacco Company Interference in Thailand: An Example of FCTC Implementation for Low- and Middle-income Countries

Open access
Charoenca, Naowarut, Mock, Jeremiah, Kungskulniti, Nipapun, Preechawong, Sunida, Kojetin, Nicholas, Hamann, Stephen L.·2012·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
DOI 10.3390/ijerph9041111PMC PMC3366603
Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

Transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) interfere regularly in policymaking in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control provides mechanisms and guidance for dealing with TTC interference, but many countries still face ‘how to’ challenges of implementation. For more than two decades, Thailand’s public health community has been developing a system for identifying and counteracting strategies TTCs use to derail, delay and undermine tobacco control policymaking. Consequently, Thailand has already implemented most of the FCTC guidelines for counteracting TTC interference. In this study, our aims are to describe strategies TTCs have used in Thailand to interfere in policymaking, and to examine how the public health community in Thailand has counteracted TTC interference. We analyzed information reported by three groups with a stake in tobacco control policies: Thai tobacco control advocates, TTCs, and international tobacco control experts. To identify TTC viewpoints and strategies, we also extracted information from internal tobacco industry documents. We synthesized these data and identified six core strategies TTCs use to interfere in tobacco control policymaking: (1) doing business with ‘two faces’, (2) seeking to influence people in high places, (3) ‘buying’ advocates in grassroots organizations, (4) putting up a deceptive front, (5) intimidation, and (6) undermining controls on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. We present three case examples showing where TTCs have employed multiple interference strategies simultaneously, and showing how Thai tobacco control advocates have successfully counteracted those strategies by: (1) conducting vigilant surveillance, (2) excluding tobacco companies from policymaking, (3) restricting tobacco company sales, (4) sustaining pressure, and (5) dedicating resources to the effective enforcement of regulations. Policy implications from this study are that tobacco control advocates in LMICs may be able to develop countermeasures similar to those we identified in Thailand based on FCTC guidelines to limit TTC interference.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.3390/ijerph9041111

Cites

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • The WHO FCTC establishes evidence-based standards for tobacco control that provide a framework in which tobacco control advocates can play significant roles in securing comprehensive national tobacco control policies.

    “WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control1 (FCTC) establishes evidence-based standards for tobacco control that provide a framework in which tobacco control advocates can play significant roles in securing comprehensive national tobacco control policies.2–6”

    From Role of stakeholders in Nigeria’s tobacco control journey after the FCTC: lessons for tobacco control advocacy in low-income and middle-income countries (2019) · cites this paper as [3]

    Section 5.2 (Guidance for LMICs; no page provided) calls the FCTC an international framework for national action and urges advocates to strengthen political and legal systems so stronger tobacco-control laws can be enacted. Section 5.3 recommends advocacy to implement FCTC requirements and guidelines. Our copy does not establish the claim’s more specific characterization of those requirements as “evidence-based standards.” (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Few articles focus on countering interference and the role of advocates in this.

    “Few articles16–19 focus on countering interference and the role of advocates in this.”

    From Needs of LMIC-based tobacco control advocates to counter tobacco industry policy interference: insights from semi-structured interviews (2020) · cites this paper as [16]

  • The activities advocates engage in to counter tobacco industry interference are aligned with those outlined in the literature on countering tobacco industry interference in LMICs, HICs and supranational settings, and directly address some of the main tobacco industry interference tactics, most notably producing and disseminating information, seeking direct access to policymakers and using front g

    “The activities are aligned with those outlined in the literature on countering TII in LMICs,16–19 27–30 HICs31 32 and supranational settings,33 and directly addressing some of the main TII tactics, most notably, producing and disseminating information, seeking direct access to policymakers and using front groups and third parties.9 13–15 34”

    From Needs of LMIC-based tobacco control advocates to counter tobacco industry policy interference: insights from semi-structured interviews (2020) · cites this paper as [16]

  • Similar to successful tobacco control advocacy efforts in other countries, local civil society groups developed close relationships with government officials, provided evidence-based information to policy-makers, and closely monitored swift government actions and industry activity to advance tobacco control in Uruguay.

    “Similar to successful tobacco control advocacy efforts in other countries,17579293 local civil society groups developed close relationships with government officials, provided evidence-based information to policy-makers, and closely monitored swift government actions and industry activity to advance tobacco control in Uruguay.”

    From Defending strong tobacco packaging and labelling regulations in Uruguay: transnational tobacco control network versus Philip Morris International (2018) · cites this paper as [92]

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

No references could be resolved yet.

Research works printed but not linked: 32

  1. [2]Beaglehole R. Bonita R. Horton R. Adams C. Alleyne G. Asaria P. Baugh V. Bekedam H. Billo N. Casswell S. Priority actions for the non-communicable disease crisis. Lancet 2011 377 1438 1447 21474174
  2. [4]Wipfli H.L. Fujimoto K. Valente T.W. Global tobacco control diffusion: The case of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Am. J. Public Health 2010 7 1260 1266 20466967 PMC2882412
  3. [6]Mamudu H.M. Gonzalez M.E. Glantz S.A. The nature, scope and development of the global tobacco control epistemic community Am. J. Public Health 2011 11 2044 2054 21940926 PMC3207640
  4. [9]Brownell K.D. Warner K.E. The perils of ignoring history: Big tobacco played dirty and millions died. How similar is big food? Milbank Q. 2009 1 259 294 10.1111/j.1468-0009.2009.00555.x 19298423 PMC2879177 · DOI
  5. [10]Cheng M.H. WHO’s Western Pacific region agrees tobacco-control plan. Lancet 2009 374 1227 1228 19839100
  6. [15]Shepard P.L. Profits, Progress and Poverty: Case Studies of international Industries in Latin America Newfarmer R.S. University of Notre Dame Press Notre Dame, IN, USA 1985
  7. [16]Stebbins K.R. Transnational tobacco companies and health in underdeveloped countries: Recommendations for avoiding a smoking epidemic. Soc. Sci. Med. 1990 2 227 235 2305291
  8. [20]Trochim W. Stillman F. Clark P. Schmitt C.L. Development of a model of the tobacco industry’s interference with tobacco control programmes. Tob. Control 2003 2 140 147 12773723 PMC1747710
  9. [22]MacKenzie R. Collin J. Sriwongcharoen K. Muggli M.E. “If we can just ‘stall’ new unfriendly legislations, the scoreboard is already in our favour”: Transnational tobacco companies and ingredients disclosure in Thailand. Tob. Control 2004 13 ii79 ii87 10.1136/tc.2004.009233 15564225 PMC1766166 · DOI
  10. [27]World Health Organization and Thai Health Promotion Foundation Many Things to Many People: A Review of ThaiHealth Thai Health Promotion Foundation Bangkok, Thailand 2007
  11. [34]Yang S.S. Malone R.E. Working to shape what society’s expectations of us should be. Phillip Morris’s societal alignment strategy. Tob. Control 2008 17 391 398 10.1136/tc.2008.026476 18845623 PMC2767394 · DOI
  12. [36]Chaiton M. Ferrence R. LeGresley E. Perceptions of industry responsibility and tobacco control policy by US tobacco company executives in trial testimony. Tob. Control 2006 15 iv98 iv106 17130631 PMC2563591
  13. [37]White J. Bandura A. Bero L.A. Moral disengagement in the corporate world. Acc. Res. 2009 16 41 74 19247852
  14. [42]Barnoya J. Glantz S.A. The tobacco industry’s worldwide ETS consultants project: European and Asian components. Eur. J. Public Health 2005 16 69 77 16076855
  15. [43]Vathesatogkit P. Guidelines for the Implementation of Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC. Proceedings of theWorkshops on Implementation of the Convention Bucharest, Romania 8 June 2010
  16. [48]McCandless P.M. Yerger V.B. Malone R.E. Quid pro quo: Tobacco companies and the black press. Am. J. Public Health 2011 PMC3362199 21852652
  17. [49]Tsoukalas T.H. Glantz S.A. Development and destruction of the first state funded anti-smoking campaign in the US. Tob. Control 2003 12 214 220 12773734 PMC1747722
  18. [50]Landman A. Glantz S.A. Tobacco industry efforts to undermine policy-relevant research. Am. J. Public Health 2009 99 45 58 19008508 PMC2600597
  19. [52]Harper T. Why the tobacco industry fears point of sale display bans. Tob. Control 2006 15 270 271 16728761 PMC2564675
  20. [53]Nimpitakpong P. Pittayakulmongkon C. Thailand: Young, female ‘ambassadors’ promote cigarettes in Worldwide News and Comment. Tob. Control 2011 20 393 396 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2011-050246 · DOI
  21. [55]Vathesatogkit P. FCTC Article 5.3: Protecting Policies from Commercial and Other Vested Interests of the Tobacco Industry. Presented at the National Conference on Tobacco or Health Bangkok, Thailand 15 August 2007
  22. [59]Benjakul S. Implementation of the National Tobacco Surveillance System, Bureau of Tobacco Control. Presented at the 10th National Conference on Tobacco or Health Bangkok, Thailand 25-26 August 2011
  23. [61]Kin F. Lian T.Y. Surveillance of Tobacco Industry Activities Toolkit, Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance U-SA Press Bangkok, Thailand 2009
  24. [62]Kin F. Assunta M. Tobacco Industry Interference in Health Policy in ASEAN Countries, Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance U-SA Press Bangkok, Thailand 2009
  25. [63]Nimpitakpong P. Tobacco Industry Surveillance and Study Group. Presented at the 10th National Conference on Tobacco or Health Bangkok, Thailand 25–26 August 2011
  26. [64]Vathesatogkit P. Implementation of the FCTC: Challenges and Obstacles—Thailand’s Experience. Presented at the First Regional Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco Latin American Conference Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 7 September 2007
  27. [65]Levy D. Benjakul S. Ross H. Ritthiphakdee B. The role of tobacco control policies in reducing smoking and deaths in a middle income nation: Results from the Thailand SimSmoke simulation model. Tob. Control 2008 1 53 59 18218810
  28. [66]Stillman F. Hoang M. Linton R. Ritthiphakdee B. Trochim W. Mapping tobacco industry strategies in South East Asia for action planning and surveillance. Tob. Control 2008 1 PMC2626648 18218787
  29. [67]Crosbie E. Sebrie E.M. Glantz S.A. Tobacco industry success in Costa Rica: The importance of FCTC Article 5.3. Salud. Publica Mex. 2012 54 28 38 22286826 PMC3296364
  30. [68]Lee W.B. Fong G.T. Zanna M.P. Omar M. Sirrirassamee B. Borland R. Regret and rationalization among smokers in Thailand and Malaysia: Findings from the international tobacco control Southeast Asia survey. Health Psychol. 2009 28 457 464 19594270
  31. [69]Beaglehole R. UN high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases: Addressing four questions. Lancet 2011 378 449 455 21665266
  32. [72]Roemer R. Taylor A. Lariviere J. Origins of the WHO framework convention on tobacco control. Am. J. Public Health 2005 6 936 938 15914812 PMC1449287

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Charoenca, N., Mock, J., Kungskulniti, N., Preechawong, S., Kojetin, N., & Hamann, S. L.
Affiliations
  • Mahidol University (TH)
  • The University of Osaka (JP)
  • Chulalongkorn University (TH)
  • Indiana University Bloomington (US)
Corresponding author
Kungskulniti, Nipapun
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2012-03-27
Volume
9
Issue
4
Pages
1111-1134
ISSN
1660-4601 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/ijerph9041111
PMC
PMC3366603
OpenAlex
W1996195739
Cited by
50
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 7 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 4
FWCI
6.50
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • IUScholarWorks (Indiana University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Mahidol University
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Public Health Policies and Education
Keywords
transnational tobacco companies, tobacco industry interference, tobacco control, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Thailand, tobacco industry documents, low- and middle-income countries
MeSH terms
Smoking Prevention, Consumer Advocacy, Developing Countries, Health Policy, Humans, Policy Making, Smoking, Thailand, World Health Organization, Tobacco Industry

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review