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by Kanaga Raja

Leaked documents of Japan Tobacco International reveal the extent to which tobacco companies go to derail efforts to regulate their products, in particular the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the world's first public health treaty.

Geneva: Internal documents of the tobacco transnational Japan Tobacco International (JTI) that have been released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) detailing strategies relating to the Framework convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) negotiations, reveal the extent to which tobacco companies go to derail efforts to regulate their products, according to Infact, a corporate accountability watchdog.

The internal JTI documents were initially leaked to the WHO and brought out in a press release by Infact. WHO sources later made the document available on request.

The JTI documents outline the strategies undertaken in the FCTC negotiations last fall, as well as proposals for attacking the FCTC in 2002. According to Infact, in order to help achieve these aims, the JTI has retained the conservative British ideologue, Roger Scruton, to co-ordinate their public relations efforts.

In echoing the outrage expressed by the WHO at the tobacco industry's plans to derail the world's first public health treaty, Kathryn Mulvey, Executive Director of Infact, says, 'The documents reveal just how far tobacco transnationals are willing to go to undermine global efforts to control the promotion of tobacco and to suggest that the WHO should not focus on tobacco as a public health issue. The absolute necessity for the FCTC to limit tobacco industry influence over public policy is once again underscored.'

According to the internal documents, JTI's strategies for last fall's Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) meetings of the FCTC included, among others, a suggestion to 'shift the onus back on to the WHO to justify the vindictiveness of its attack,' with 'more explicit mention of other products that are open to the same criticisms as tobacco and which ought to be of equal concern to the WHO.'

Infact outlines that Scruton proposes to divert the WHO's energy from tobacco, a product that is projected to kill a billion people this century, by drawing attention to the harmful effects of fast food and alcohol.

A plan was also hatched to place 'articles in the influential media, whose effect will be to discredit the FCTC process.'

The questions that were to be planted with the press include, 'why is tobacco being singled out...?' and, 'why is a global treaty necessary....?'

A strategy was also developed to reframe the issue 'as one of freedom of choice.'

According to Infact, although industry leaders have finally admitted nicotine is addictive, Scruton's advice to JTI to develop language urging 'responsible choice' into the FCTC.

Scruton also presents the treaty's general obligations as a 'threat to national sovereignty.'

Infact says that the US echoed this analysis at INB3, repeatedly emphasising the principle of federalism as a severe limitation on the strength of the treaty.

According to the JTI documents among other steps that were taken, were the suggestion of an internal document for the JTI staff, 'giving them confidence in the face of attack' and working on local managers 'to put JTI's case to the health and finance ministers of the governments. This is particularly important in those markets that have not yet been infected by the bug of political correctness - the former communist countries...Turkey, some of the Asian countries (this latter a more long-term matter).' JTI has also outlined several proposals to undermine the FCTC in 2002, which include, among others:

* Regular (perhaps monthly) meetings over lunch or dinner between relevant JT personnel and key people for informal discussions.' The aim of these meetings is to 'activate the network.'

* Use of media contacts to place relevant articles on the major topics of current concern to the industry,' such as 'transnational legislation generally', 'mendacious campaigns against the industry,' 'the greater health risk of other products,' and the 'use of tobacco legislation as a diversionary tactic in times of rising moral corruption...'

* Continued networking with opinion formers of a more general kind....' Here, in looking for outlets for its message, the documents refer to 'Greens, utopian leftists etc as well as free marketers and conversatives.'

* In relation to the FCTC and the WHO....a more general attack on the absurdity of trivial and unworkable transnational legislation, at a time of global crisis.....'

Roger Scruton is a well-known conservative philosopher and writer in the UK.

According to the JTI document, he has even sought a fee rise of sterling pound 1,000 on his present fee of sterling pound 4,500 for his efforts in using his media contacts to place relevant articles on topics of concern to the tobacco industry. He justifies this increase on the grounds that he provides good value for money in a business 'largely conducted by shysters and sharks.'

In relation to the placing of pro-smoking articles, the JTI document says, 'We would aim to place an article every two months in one or other of the WSJ (Wall Street Journal), the Times, the Telegraph, the Spectator, the Financial Times, the Economist, the Independent or the New Statesman.'

Scruton has also written a paper that was published by the Institute of Economic Affairs that took the WHO and its Director-General to task for abuse of their legislative powers.

The paper, titled 'WHO, what and why? - Transnational Government, Legitimacy and the World Health Organisation,' refers to the FCTC as 'an attempt to police the lifestyles of ordinary people, by an institution which is entirely unaccountable to them.'

While we cannot say for certain which of Scruton's suggestions have been executed, they are certainly consistent with the public positions taken by the industry and its staunchest allies,' says Mulvey.

She cautions that JTI is investing significant resources, and top-level executive time, in its campaign against the FCTC.

'As government negotiators compile treaty text and prepare for the next round of talks, it is vital that they and the public at large be kept informed about the tobacco transnationals' ongoing attempts to weaken and discredit the FCTC,' concludes Mulvey.

- The Third World Network Features

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