Skip to main content

The vector of the tobacco epidemic: tobacco industry practices in low and middle-income countries

Cancer Causes & Control volume 23, pages 117–129 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

To understand transnational tobacco companies’ (TTCs) practices in low and middle-income countries which serve to block tobacco-control policies and promote tobacco use.

Methods

Systematic review of published research on tobacco industry activities to promote tobacco use and oppose tobacco-control policies in low and middle-income countries.

Results

TTCs’ strategies used in low and middle-income countries followed four main themes—economic activity; marketing/promotion; political activity; and deceptive/manipulative activity. Economic activity, including foreign investment and smuggling, was used to enter new markets. Political activities included lobbying, offering voluntary self-regulatory codes, and mounting corporate social responsibility campaigns. Deceptive activities included manipulation of science and use of third-party allies to oppose smoke-free policies, delay other tobacco-control policies, and maintain support of policymakers and the public for a pro-tobacco industry policy environment. TTCs used tactics for marketing, advertising, and promoting their brands that were tailored to specific market environments. These activities included direct and indirect tactis, targeting particular populations, and introducing new tobacco products designed to limit marketing restrictions and taxes, maintain the social acceptability of tobacco use, and counter tobacco-control efforts.

Conclusions

TTCs have used similar strategies in high-income countries as these being described in low and middle-income countries. As required by FCTC Article 5.3, to counter tobacco industry pressures and to implement effective tobacco-control policies, governments and health professionals in low and middle-income countries should fully understand TTCs practices and counter them.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  1. World Health Organization (2009) Mortality and burden of disease estimates for WHO member states in 2004. World Health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  2. UN General Assembly (2011) Political declaration of the high-level meeting of the general assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/66/L.1. Accessed 5 January 2012

  3. Jha P, Peto R, Zatonski W, Boreham J, Jarvis MJ, Lopez AD (2006) Social inequalities in male mortality, and in male mortality from smoking: indirect estimation from national death rates in England and Wales, Poland, and North America. Lancet 386:367–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Beaglehole R, Bonita R, Horton R, Adams C, Alleyne G, Asaria P, Vanessa B (2011) Priority actions for the non-communicable disease crisis. Lancet 377:1438–1447

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Glantz S, Gonzalez M (2011) Effective tobacco control is key to rapid progress in reduction of non-communicable diseases. Lancet. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60615-6

  6. World Health Organization (2008) WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2008: The MPOWER package. World Health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  7. Gilmore AB, Fooks G, McKee M (2011) A review of the impacts of tobacco industry privatisation: Implications for policy. Glob Public Health 6:621–642

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Malone R (2010) The tobacco industry. In: Wiist W (ed) The bottom line or public health: tactics corporations use to influence health and health policy, and what we can do to counter them. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 155–192

    Google Scholar 

  9. ASH (2011) ASH Fact sheet: the UK tobacco industry. Action on smoking and health. http://www.ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_123.pdf. Accessed 10 September 2011

  10. Shepherd P (1985) Transnational corporations and the international cigarette industry. In: Newfarmer R (ed) Profits, progress and poverty. Case studies of international industries in Latin America. University of Notre Dame Press Notre Dame, Indiana, pp 79–84

    Google Scholar 

  11. Gilmore A, McKee M (2004) Moving east: how the transnational tobacco companies gained entry to the emerging markets of the former Soviet Union. Part II: priorities and tactics in establishing a manufacturing presence. Tob Control 13(2):151–160

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Lee K, Carpenter C, Challa C, Lee S, Connolly GN, Koh HK (2009) The strategic targeting of females by transnational tobacco companies in South Korea following trade liberalisation. Global Health 5(1):2

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Knight J, Chapman S (2004) “Asian yuppies…are always looking for something new and different”: creating a tobacco culture among young Asians. Tob Control 13(Suppl 2):ii22–ii29. doi:10.1136/tc.2004.008847

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Lee K, Kinh HV, Mackenzie R, Gilmore AB, Minh NT, Collin J (2008) Gaining access to Vietnam’s cigarette market: British American Tobacco’s strategy to enter ‘a huge market which will become enormous’. Glob Public Health 3(1):1–25

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Braun S, Mejia R, Ling PM, Perez-Stable EJ (2008) Tobacco industry targeting youth in Argentina. Tob Control 17:111–117

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Lee K, Collin J (2006) “Key to the future”: British American tobacco and cigarette smuggling in China. PLoS Med 3(7):e228

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Hsu CC, Levy DT, Wen CP, Cheng TY, Tsai SP, Chen T, Eriksen MP, Shu CC (2005) The effect of the market opening on trends in smoking rates in Taiwan. Health Policy 74(1):69–76

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Hsu CC, Lord AY, Tseng TS, Chen T (2005) The impact of the tobacco market opening on smoking status in Taiwan: findings from a secular smoking rates analysis. Int Q Community Health Educ 25(3):271–281. doi:10.2190/q724-m131-3820-3421

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  19. MacKenzie R, Collin J, Sriwongcharoen K (2007) Thailand-lighting up a dark market: British American tobacco, sports sponsorship and the circumvention of legislation. J Epidemiol Community Health 61(1):28–33

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Assunta M, Chapman S (2004) The tobacco industry’s accounts of refining indirect tobacco advertising in Malaysia. Tob Control 13(Suppl 2):ii63–ii70. doi:10.1136/tc.2004.008987

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Lawrence S, Collin J (2004) Competing with kreteks: transnational tobacco companies, globalisation, and Indonesia. Tob Control 13(Suppl 2):ii96–ii103. doi:10.1136/tc.2004.009340

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Hafez N, Ling PM (2005) How Philip Morris buit Malboro into a global brand for young adults: implications for international tobacco control. Tob Control 14:262–271

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Lambert A, Sargent JD, Glantz SA, Ling PM (2004) How Philip Morris unlocked the Japanese cigarette market: lessons for global tobacco control. Tob Control 13(4):379–387

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Chu A, Jiang N, Glantz SA (2011) Transnational tobacco industry promotion of the cigarette gifting custom in China. Tob Control 20(4):e3. doi:10.1136/tc.2010.038349

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Taylor SA (1989) Tobacco and economic growth in developing nations. Bus Contemp World (Winter):55–70

  26. Holzman D (1997) Tobacco abroad: infiltrating foreign markets. Environ Health Perspec 105:178–183. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.97105178

  27. Gilmore AB, McKee M (2005) Exploring the impact of foreign direct investment on tobacco consumption in the former Soviet Union. Tob Control 14:13–21

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  28. World Health Organization (2012) WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. http://www.who.int/fctc/en/. Accessed 13 January 2012

  29. Mamudu HM, Glantz SA (2009) Civil society and the negotiation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Glob Public Health 4(2):150–168

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Stillman F, Hoang M, Linton R, Ritthiphakdee B, Trochim W (2008) Mapping tobacco industry strategies in South East Asia for action planning and surveillance. Tob Control 17(1):e1. doi:10.1136/tc.2006.017988

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  31. PAHO (2002) Profits over people: tobacco industry activities to market cigarettes and undermine public health in Latin America and the Caribbean. WHO Regional Office of the Pan American Health Organization, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  32. Collin J, Legresley E, MacKenzie R, Lawrence S, Lee K (2004) Complicity in contraband: British American Tobacco and cigarette smuggling in Asia. Tob Control 13(Suppl 2):ii104–111. doi:10.1136/tc.2004.009357

    Google Scholar 

  33. Gilmore A, Rau-Loghin C, Zatushevski I, McKee M (2005) Pushing up smoking incidence: plans for a privatised tobacco industry in Moldova. Lancet 265:1354–1359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Gilmore A, McKee M (2004) Moving east: How the transnational tobacco companies gained entry to the emerging markets of the former Soviet Union. Part 1: establishing cigarette imports. Tob Control 13(2):143–150

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Gilmore A, Pomerleau J, McKee M, Rose R, Haerpfer CW, Rotman D, Tumanov S (2004) Prevalence of smoking in 8 countries of the former Soviet Union: results from the living conditions, lifestyles and health study. Am J Public Health 94(12):2177–2187

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Gilmore A, McKee M, Collin J (2007) The invisible hand: how British American tobacco precluded competition in Uzbekistan. Tob Control 16(4):239–247

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Szilagyi T, Chapman S (2003) Hungry for Hungary: examples of tobacco industry’s expansionism. Cent Eur J Public Health 11:38–43

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Gilmore AB (2005) Tobacco and transition: understanding the impact of transition on tobacco use and control in the former Soviet Union. Dissertation, University of London, London

  39. MacKenzie R, Collin J, Sopharo C, Sopheap Y (2004) “Almost a role model of what we would like to do everywhere”: British American Tobacco in Cambodia. Tob Control 13(Suppl 2):ii112–ii127. doi:10.1136/tc.2004.009381

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Alechnowicz K, Chapman S (2004) The Philippine tobacco industry: the strongest tobacco lobby in Asia. Tob Control 13(Suppl II):71–78

    Google Scholar 

  41. Weissman R, White A (2002) Needless harm. International Monetary fund support for tobacco privatization and for tobacco tax and tariff reduction and the cost to public health. Washington, DC

  42. LeGresley E, Lee K, Muggli ME, Patel P, Collin J, Hurt RD (2008) British Amercian Tobacco and the “insidious impact of illicit trade” in cigarettes across Africa. Tob Control 17(5):339–346

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Joossens L, Raw M (2008) Progress in combating cigarette smuggling: controlling the supply chain. Tob Control 17:399–404

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Lee K, Gilmore AB, Collin J (2004) Breaking and re-entering: British American Tobacco in China 1979–2000. Tob Control 13(Suppl 2):ii88–ii95. doi:10.1136/tc.2004.009258

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Lawrence S (2009) British American Tobacco’s failure in Turkey. Tob Control 18:22–28

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Muggli ME, Pollay RW, Lew R, Joseph AM (2002) Targeting of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by the tobacco industry: results from the Minnesota Tobacco Document Depository. Tob Control 11:201–209

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Pollay RW (2000) Targeting youth and concerned smokers: evidence from Canadian tobacco industry documents. Tob Control 9:136–147

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Cataldo J, Malone R (2008) False promises: the tobacco industry, “low tar” cigarettes, and older smokers. J Am Geriatr Soc 56:9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Carpenter CM, Wayne GF, Pauly JL, Koh HK, Connolly GN (2005) New cigarette brands with flavors that appeal to youth: tobacco marketing strategies. Health Aff 24:1601–1610

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Gan Q, Glantz SA (2011) Relationship between the Chinese tobacco industry and academic institutions in China. Tob Control 20(1):12–19. doi:10.1136/tc.2010.036079

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Givel MS, Glantz SA (2001) Tobacco lobby political influence on US state legislatures in the 1990s. Tob Control 10:124–134

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Neuman M, Bitton A, Glantz S (2002) Tobacco industry strategies for influencing European community tobacco advertising legislation. Lancet 359(9314):1323–1330

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Chapman S, Carter SM (2003) ‘‘Avoid health warnings on all tobacco products for just as long as we can’’: a history of Australian tobacco industry efforts to avoid, delay and dilute health warnings on cigarettes. Tob Control 12(Suppl III):iii13–iii22

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Hiilamo H, Glantz SA (2011) Local Nordic tobacco interests collaborated with multinational companies to maintain a united front and undermine tobacco-control policies. Tob Control. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2011-050149

  55. Gilmore A, Collin J, McKee M (2006) British American Tobacco’s erosion of health legislation in Uzbekistan. Br Med J 332:332–355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  56. Patel P, Collin J, Gilmore AB (2007) “The law was actually drafted by us but the Government is to be congratulated on its wise actions”: British American Tobacco and public policy in Kenya. Tob Control 16(1):e1

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  57. Wander N, Malone RE (2006) Making big tobacco give in: you lose, they win. Am J Public Health 96:2048–2054

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  58. Apollonio DE, Malone RE (2010) The “We Card” program: tobacco industry “youth smoking prevention” as industry self-preservation. Am J Public Health 100(7):1188–1201

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  59. Landman A, Ling PM, Glantz SA (2002) Tobacco industry youth smoking prevention programs: protecting the industry and hurting tobacco control. Am J Public Health 92:917–930

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  60. Mandel LL, Bialous SA, Glantz SA (2006) Avoiding “truth”: tobacco industry promotion of life skills training. J Adolesc Health 39:868–879

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  61. Tsoukalas TH, Glantz SA (2003) Development and destruction of the first state funded anti-smoking campaign in the USA. Tob Control 12:214–220

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  62. Richards JWJ, Tye JB, Fischer PM (1996) The tobacco industry’s code of advertising in the United States: myth and reality. Tob Control 5:295–311

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  63. Pollay RW (1994) Promises, promises: self-regulation of US cigarette broadcast advertising in the 1960s. Tob Control 3:134–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. Mindell JS (1993) The UK voluntary agreement on tobacco advertising: a comatose policy. Tob Control 2:209–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  65. Bornhäuser A, McCarthy J, Glantz SA (2006) German tobacco industry’s successful efforts to maintain scientific and political respectability to prevent regulation of secondhand smoke. Tob Control 15:e1

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  66. Honjo K, Kawachi I (2000) Effects of market liberalisation on smoking in Japan. Tob Control 9:193–200

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  67. Chapman S (1980) A David and Goliath story: tobacco advertising and self-regulation in Australia. Br Med J 281:1187–1190

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  68. Mamudu HM, Hammond R, Glantz SA (2008) Project Cerberus: tobacco industry strategy to create an alternative to the framework convention on tobacco control. Am J Public Health 98(9):1630–1642

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  69. Sebrie EM, Barnoya J, Perez-Stable EJ, Glantz SA (2005) Tobacco industry successfully prevented tobacco-control legislation in Argentina. Tob Control 14:e2

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  70. Nakkash R, Lee K (2009) The tobacco industry’s thwarting of marketing restrictions and health warnings in Lebanon. Tob Control 18(4):310–316

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  71. Crosbie E, Sebrie EM, Glantz SA (2012) Tobacco industry success in costa rica: the importance of FCTC article 5.3. Salud Pública de México (in press)

  72. Assunta M, Chapman S (2004) A mire of highly subjective and ineffective voluntary guidelines: tobacco industry efforts to thwart tobacco control in Malaysia. Tob Control 13(suppl II):ii43–ii50

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  73. Carter SM (2003) From legitimate consumers to public relations pawns: the tobacco industry and young Australians. Tob Control 12:71–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  74. Wakefield M, Terry-McElrath Y, Emery S, Saffer H, Chaloupka FJ, Szczypka G, Flay B, O’Malley PM, Johnston LD (2006) Effect of televised, tobacco company-funded smoking prevention advertising on youth smoking-related beliefs, intentions, and behavior. Am J Public Health 96:2154–2160

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  75. Sebrie E, Glantz SA (2007) Attempts to undermine tobacco control: tobacco industry “youth smoking prevention” programs to undermine meaningful tobacco control in Latin America. Am J Public Health 97(8):1357–1367

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  76. McDaniel PA, Smith EA, Malone RE (2006) Philip Morris’s Project Sunrise: weakening tobacco control by working with it. Tob Control 15:215–223

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  77. Chapman S (2004) Advocacy in action: extreme corporate makeover interruptus: denormalising tobacco industry corporate schmoozing. Tob Control 13:445–447

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  78. McDaniel PA, Malone RE (2005) Understanding Philip Morris’s pursuit of US government regulation of tobacco. Tob Control 14:193–200

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  79. Smith EA, Malone RE (2003) Altria means tobacco: Philip Morris’s identity crisis. Am J Public Health 93:553–556

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  80. Hirschhorn N (2004) Corporate social responsibility and the tobacco industry: hope or hype? Tob Control 13:447–453

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  81. Otanez M, Glantz SA (2011) Social responsibility in tobacco production? Tobacco companies’ use of green supply chains to obscure the real costs of tobacco farming. Tob Control 20:403–411

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  82. Otanez MG, Muggli ME, Hurt RD, Glantz SA (2006) Eliminating child labour in Malawi: a British American Tobacco corporate responsibility project to sidestep tobacco labour exploitation. Tob Control 15:224–230

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  83. McDaniel PA, Intinarelli G, Malone RE (2008) Tobacco industry issues management organizations: creating a global corporate network to undermine public health. Global Health 4:2

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  84. Muggli ME, Hurt RD, Blanke DD (2003) Science for hire: a tobacco industry strategy to influence public opinion on secondhand smoke. Nicotine Tob Res 5:303–314

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  85. Barnoya J, Glantz SA (2006) The tobacco industry’s worldwide ETS consultants project: European and Asian components. Eur J Public Health 16(1):69–77. doi:10.1093/eurpub/cki044

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  86. Barnoya J, Glantz SA (2002) Tobacco industry success in preventing regulation of secondhand smoke in Latin America: the “Latin Project”. Tob Control 11(4):305–314

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  87. Ong EK, Glantz SA (2000) Tobacco industry efforts subverting International Agency for Research on Cancer’s second-hand smoke study. Lancet 355(9211):1253–1259

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  88. Tong E, Glantz S (2004) ARTIST (Asian regional tobacco industry scientist team): Philip Morris’ attempt to exert a scientific and regulatory agenda on Asia. Tob Control 13(Suppl II):ii118–ii124

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  89. Dearlove JV, Bialous SA, Glantz SA (2002) Tobacco industry manipulation of the hospitality industry to maintain smoking in public places. Tob Control 11:94–104

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  90. Mandel LL, Glantz SA (2004) Hedging their bets: tobacco and gambling industries work against smoke-free policies. Tob Control 13:268–276

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  91. Holm AL, Davis RM (2004) Clearing the airways: advocacy and regulation for smoke-free airlines. Tob Control 13:30–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  92. Sebrie E, Glantz SA (2007) “Accommodating” smoke-free policies: tobacco industry’s courtesy of choice programme in Latin America. Tob Control 16(5):e6

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  93. Crosbie E, Sebrie EM, Glantz SA (2011) Strong advocacy led to successful implementation of smoke free Mexico City. Tob Control 20(1):64–72

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  94. World Health Organization (2004) WHO framework convention on tobacco control, article 5.3. http://www.who.int/fctc/en/index.html. Accessed 25 November 2011

  95. Nakkash R, Lee K (2008) Smuggling as the “key to a combined market”: British American Tobacco in Lebanon. Tob Control 17(5):324–331

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  96. Owusu-Dabo E, Lewis S, McNeill A, Anderson S, Gilmore A, Britton J (2009) Smoking in Ghana: a review of tobacco industry activity. Tob Control 18(3):206–211

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  97. Wen CP, Peterson RA, Cheng TY, Tsai SP, Eriksen MP, Chen T (2006) Paradoxical increase in cigarette smuggling after the market opening in Taiwan. Tob Control 15(3):160–165. doi:10.1136/tc.2005.011940

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  98. Wen CP, Cheng TY, Eriksen MP, Tsai SP, Hsu CC (2005) The impact of the cigarette market opening in Taiwan. Tob Control 14(Suppl 1):i4–i9. doi:10.1136/tc.2004.008516

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  99. LeGresley E, Muggli M, Hurt R (2006) Movie moguls: British American Tobacco’s covert strategy to promote cigarettes in Eastern Europe. Eur J Public Health 16(5):505–508

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  100. Patel P, Okechukwu C, Collin J, Hghes B (2009) Bringing ‘Light, Life and Happiness’: British American Tobacco and music sponsorship in sub-Saharan Africa. Third World Q 30(4):685–700

    Article  Google Scholar 

  101. MacKenzie R, Collin J (2008) Philanthropy, politics and promotion: Philip Morris’ “charitable contributions” in Thailand. Tob Control 17(4):284–285. doi:10.1136/tc.2008.024935

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  102. Braun S, Mejia R, Barnoya J, Gregorich SE, Pérez-Stable EJ (2011) Tobacco advertising and press coverage of smoking and health in 10 years of Argentinean newspapers. CVD Prev Control 6(3):71–80

    Google Scholar 

  103. Carter SM (2003) Going below the line: creating transportable brands for Australia’s dark market. Tob Control 12(Suppl III):iii87–iii94

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  104. Stanton CR, Chu A, Collin J, Glantz SA (2011) Promoting tobacco through the international language of dance music: British American Tobacco and the Ministry of Sound. Eur J Public Health 21(1):21–28

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  105. Mekemson C, Glantz SA (2002) How the tobacco industry built its relationship with Hollywood. Tob Control 11:i81–i91

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  106. O’Sullivan B, Chapman S (2000) Eyes on the prize: transnational tobacco companies in China 1976–1997. Tob Control 9(3):292–302

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  107. Mejia R, Schoj V, Barnoya J, Flores ML, Perez-Stable EJ (2008) Tobacco industry strategies to obstruct the FCTC in Argentina. CVD Prev Control 3(4):173–179

    Google Scholar 

  108. Szilagyi T, Chapman S (2003) Tobacco industry efforts to keep cigarettes affordable: a case study from Hungary. Cent Eur J Public Health 11:223–228

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  109. Szilagyi T, Champman S (2004) Tobacco industry efforts to erode tobacco advertising controls in Hungary. Cent Eur J Public Health 12:190–196

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  110. Holden C, Lee K, Gilmore A, Fooks G, Wander N (2010) Trade policy, health, and corporate influence: British American tobacco and China’s accession to the World Trade Organization. Int J Health Serv 40(3):421–441

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  111. Knight J, Chapman S (2004) “A phony way to show sincerity, as we all well know”: tobacco industry lobbying against tobacco control in Hong Kong. Tob Control 13(Suppl 2):ii13–ii21. doi:10.1136/tc.2004.007641

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  112. Gilmore A, Collin J, Townsend J (2007) Transnational tobacco company influence on taxation policy during privatization: the case of BAT in Uzbekistan. Am J Public Health 97:2001–2009

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  113. Assunta M, Chapman S (2004) Industry sponsored youth smoking prevention programme in Malaysia: a case study in duplicity. Tob Control 13(Suppl 2):ii37–ii42. doi:10.1136/tc.2004.007732

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  114. Fooks GJ, Gilmore AB, Smith KE, Collin J, Holden C, Lee K (2011) Corporate Social responsibility and access to policy élites: an analysis of tobacco industry documents. PLoS Med 8(8):e1001076

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  115. Knight J, Chapman S (2004) “Asia is now the priority target for the world anti-tobacco movement”: attempts by the tobacco industry to undermine the Asian anti-smoking movement. Tob Control 13(Suppl 2):ii30–ii36. doi:10.1136/tc.2004.009159

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  116. Muggli ME, Lee K, Gan Q, Ebbert JO, Hurt RD (2008) “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):1729–1769. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050251

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  117. MacKenzie R, Collin J, Sriwongcharoen K, Muggli ME (2004) “If we can just ‘stall’ new unfriendly legislation’s, the scoreboard is already in our favour”: transnational tobacco companies and ingredients disclosure in Thailand. Tob Control 13(Suppl II):ii79–ii87

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  118. Mackenzie R, Collin J (2008) “A good personal scientific relationship”: Philip Morris scientists and the Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok. PLoS Med 5(12):e238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  119. Friedman LC, Daynard RA, Banthin CN (2005) How tobacco-friendly science escapes scrutiny in the courtroom. Am J Public Health 95(S1):S16–S20

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  120. Bryan-Jones K, Bero LA (2003) Tobacco industry efforts to defeat the occupational safety and health administration indoor air quality rule. Am J Public Health 93:585–592

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  121. Gruning T, Gilmore AB, McKee M (2006) Tobacco industry influence on science and scientists in Germany. Am J Public Health 96:20–32

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  122. Flores ML, Barnoya J, Mejia R, Alderete E, Perez-Stable EJ (2006) Litigation in Argentina: challenging the tobacco industry. Tob Control 15(2):90–96

    Google Scholar 

  123. Nixon ML, Mahmoud L, Glantz SA (2004) Tobacco industry litigation to deter local public health ordinances: the industry usually loses in court. Tob Control 13(1):65–73

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Hellmann Family Fund and National Cancer Institute grant CA-87472. The funding agencies played no role in the conduct of the research or preparation of the paper.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California San Francisco, 530 Parnassus Avenue, Suite 366, San Francisco, CA, 94143-1390, USA

    Sungkyu Lee, Pamela M. Ling & Stanton A. Glantz

  2. Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Pamela M. Ling

  3. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Stanton A. Glantz

  4. UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Pamela M. Ling & Stanton A. Glantz

Authors
  1. Sungkyu Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pamela M. Ling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Stanton A. Glantz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pamela M. Ling.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lee, S., Ling, P.M. & Glantz, S.A. The vector of the tobacco epidemic: tobacco industry practices in low and middle-income countries. Cancer Causes Control 23, 117–129 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-9914-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-9914-0

Keywords

  • Tobacco
  • Transnational tobacco companies
  • Tobacco industry activity
  • Tobacco control
  • Low and middle-income countries