Tobacco control implications of the first European product liability suit: Table 1

Abstract

Objective: To examine tobacco control implication of the first European product liability suit in Finland. Methods: Systematic search of internal tobacco industry documents available on the internet and at the British American Tobacco Guildford Depository. Results: Despite legal loss, the litigation contributed to subsequent tobacco control legislation in Finland. The proceedings revealed that the industry had concealed the health hazards of its products and, despite indisputable evidence, continued to deny them. The positions taken by the industry rocked its reliability as a social actor and thus weakened its chances of influencing tobacco policy. Despite fierce opposition from the tobacco industry, tobacco products were included in the product liability legislation, tobacco was entered on the Finnish list of carcinogens, and an extensive Tobacco Act was passed in Parliament. Conclusions: Tobacco litigation might not stand alone as a tool for public health policymaking but it may well stimulate national debate over the role of smoking in society and influence the policy agenda.

Tobacco Industry Documents from Outside Sources: New Perspectives on Industry Strategies on Local Levels

“…Otva's records deal mainly with public relations matters. In the following we will compare the information on tobacco lobbying contained in Mr. Otva's documents with earlier reports on tobacco industry manipulation in Finland (7)(8)12). The analysis is supplemented with systematic search of tobacco industry documents published online.…”

“…The document have also been used to study tobacco industry operations outside the United States (US), even in small countries such as Singapore (2), Uzbekistan (3), Hungary (4)(5)(6) and Finland (7)(8). The reports raise questions concerning the limitations of the document source.…”

The Philip Morris Nordic journalist program: Strategies, implementation and outcomes

“…Sweden was the first country where workers' compensation was awarded on the grounds of ETS exposure. In Finland, the first European product liability suit was filed against the tobacco industry in 1988 [15].…”

Local Nordic tobacco interests collaborated with multinational companies to maintain a united front and undermine tobacco control policies

“…By 1986, Philip Morris (PM) officials in the USA were concerned that this activity could spread to America and other developed countries 5–7. Europe's first product liability case against the tobacco industry was brought in Finland in 1988 when an individual smoker sued Rettig Oy (a local company that licenses R.J. Reynolds (RJR) brands) and Suomen Tupakka Oy (a British American Tobacco (BAT) subsidiary), claiming that their products caused his illnesses 8. The companies prevailed in all courts, including the Supreme Court, 13 years later in 2001 9…”

“…In their effort to escape product liability claims, since 1988, local tobacco companies in Finland and Norway denied any links to the multinational tobacco companies' efforts to mislead the public about the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke (SHS) and oppose health policies 8 10 11. In contrast, tobacco industry documents demonstrate that the Nordic companies collaborated with the multinational tobacco companies, both at national and regional levels to deny health hazards of smoking and SHS and undermining tobacco control policies.…”