-Caveat Lector-
"The global perspective: a new opium war"
Dr Judith M. Mackay, Director, Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control Hong
Kong
>From San Francisco's Forum On Global Tobacco Control Policies, May 19, 1997
1. Why we need to address tobacco control from a global perspective
Reducing tobacco use in the USA - a country with only 4% of the
world's smokers - will not solve the global tobacco epidemic. As cigarette
consumption in the US has fallen from 624 billion in 1982 to 472 billion in
1996,[1] output has increased and US to bacco exports have risen from 85 to
250 billions over the same period.[1] American (and British) tobacco
companies are now flooding the globe with tobacco products.
US embassies and consulates around the world one-sidedly support
tobacco, not health, interests. The situation is akin to the opium wars of
150 years ago, when British business and government colluded to sell
another dangerous and addictive product to China. Quotes from lawyers for
opium interests sound remarkably familiar to quotes from tobacco inte rests
today:[2] 'Smoking is perfectly innocuous. It is on a par with tea
drinking. The
alleged effects of opium have been vastly exaggerated. The use of opium is
not a curse but a comfort to the hard-working Chinese.' The lawyer also
attempted to 'expose the mischievous fallacies disseminated by the Society
for the Suppression of the Opium Trade.'
Yet the USA could take a leading and exemplar role in reducing the
epidemic, and export health expertise and experience. The tobacco epidemic
is not being reduced. It is both
increasing and it is being transferred from the rich to the poor countries.
The current 1.1 billion smokers in the world will increase to around
1.64 billion by 2025, partly because the world's population will have risen
from the current 6 billion to 8.5 billion, people will live longer,[3] and
more women will be smoking.
On current smoking patterns, by 2025 the annual number of deaths will
have risen from 3 million to 10 million, of which seven million will be in
developing countries, which can ill afford this burden, either in health or
economic terms.
The net economic costs of tobacco are profoundly negative- costs of
treatment, mortality and disability exceed estimates of the economic
benefits to producers and consumers by at least 200 billion US dollars
annually, with one third of this loss being inc urred by developing
countries.
Tobacco is a major threat to sustainable and equitable global
development.
2. How the tobacco industry has impacted on the international community
through politics, economics, and trade policy
Transnational tobacco company tactics include promotion, political and
commercial pressures with the weakening of national monopolies.
a) Promotion and Sales
Developing countries are being bombarded with sophisticated, western
tobacco marketing and promotion, including direct and indirect advertising,
sponsorship, product placement in films, "Marlboro" and "Salem" clothing
shops, travel agencies, funding of political events, and targeting of
women, currently few of whom smoke in developing countries.
b) Political and Commercial Pressures
Orchestrated and sophisticated political and media lobbying by the
transnational tobacco companies is now common throughout developing
regions. The TTCs strenuously oppose
attempts by developing countries to introduce their own national public
health laws.
American tobacco companies have persuaded the US government to
threaten unilateral retaliatory trade sanctions against countries (to date,
Japan, the Republic of Korea,
Taiwan, Thailand, China) unless they open up to the sales and promotion of
US tobacco products, even in countries with established national laws
forbidding tobacco advertising. Lobbying on behalf of tobacco by the US
embassies
continues.
b) Weakening of national monopolies
Opening up of markets, joint ventures, and a complex of licensing
agreements have weakened national monopolies. The opening up of markets is
not only leading to a sharp
increase in market share of foreign cigarettes, but is also leading to
market expansion, especially increased smoking among youth. One analysis
showed that market share of US cigarettes in four countries affected by
trade threats -- Japan, Taiwan, South
Korea, and Thailand -- increased dramatically after the countries accepted
US tobacco products. The study also found per capita cigarette consumption
to be almost 10% higher than it would have been if markets had stayed shut
to American cigarettes.[4]
3. How local actions can have far-reaching effects
Many developing countries have little expertise in countering the
transnational tobacco companies, or in dealing with the new,
non-communicable disease epidemic. The USA has an opportunity to play a
global role in the tobacco epidemic. Countries like Laos and Bangladesh
have little hope of implementing comprehensive tobacco control policies if
the USA does not grasp the political nettle of tobacco control. Any
settlement agreement whereby the US tobacco companies offer compensation
only to people within the USA, ignoring smokers of US tobacco products
elsewhere, would be ethically unacceptable to the rest
of the world. Addressing global responsibility is complex, but it is an
issue that must be addressed.
While it is the responsibility of each nation to implement their own
tobacco control measures, governmental and non-governmental organisations
in the USA have a very special responsibility:
The exemplar role - showing that 'It can be done.' The message from the
USA is that smoking rates can be reduced and that litigation can have a
major impact.
Examples from Forum resolutions:
"...to move progressively towards the adoption of comprehensive
tobacco control policies..."
* It is particularly important that the USA bans all tobacco
advertising, and raising the current very low price of cigarettes (tax is
only 23% of cost).
The political role - showing the importance of government involvement.
Examples from Forum resolutions:
Resolution B. Guidelines for international tobacco trade matters
which ensure that human health is protected and that countries have the
right to regulate the transnational tobacco companies.
Resolution E. Require the transnational tobacco companies to
adhere to the same standards both domestically and internationally.
Resolution F. Campaign reform that limits political contributions
by individual, agencies, companies, and organizations.
The supportive and sharing role - supporting tobacco control measures
in developing countries and sharing experience, expertise and funds.
Examples from Forum resolutions:
- The San Francisco Tobacco Free Coalition will actively work
with local, State, National, and International policy makers to adopt and
promote this Global Tobacco Control Policy Framework;
Resolution C. Actively support international boycotts of products
produced by the transnational tobacco companies or their subsidiaries.
Resolution D. Social justice criteria for Sister City
relationships which includes adopting all or part of the Global Tobacco
Control Policy Framework.
There are already many such examples of the sharing and supportive
role, involving government and non-governmental organizations.
____________________________
REFERENCES 1 Temple DK, Chew LL, Wong W, Johnson N, Dikkers A, Pinon
BV, Shimizu M. United States Equity Research: Tobacco. International
Tobacco - A Global Business for Global Brands. Salomon Brothers 1996
April:27,12.
2 Samuel Couling. Encyclopaedia Sinica. Shanghai; Hong
Kong-Singapore-Yokohama: Kelly and Walsh, Ltd., 1917. Reprinted
Oxford, New York, Melbourne: Hong Kong Oxford University Press;1983:405-410.
3 United Nations. World Population Prospects 1990. Department of
International Economic and Social Affairs. Population Studies No 120.
United Nations, New York, 1991.
4. Chaloupka FJ, Laixuthai A. US trade policy and cigarette smoking in
Asia. National Bureau of Economic Research, Working Paper 5,543. June 1996.
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