Tobacco industry commissioned reports on illicit tobacco trade in the  Eastern Mediterranean Region: how accurate are they?

Sandberg, Erin; Gallagher, Allen; Alebshehy, Raouf

doi:10.26719/emhj.20.131

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…By the first quarter of 2019, an Oxford Economics report put the illicit tobacco trade in the Lebanese market at 28.1% [ 85 ]. However, it is worth noting that this data has been subject to criticism given that the report was funded by the tobacco industry [ 86 ], and it has been reported that the TTC consistently over-inflate estimates of illicit trade [ 87 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Lebanese Regie state-owned tobacco monopoly: lessons to inform monopoly-focused endgame strategies

2022

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Background Many countries have started pursuing tobacco ‘endgame’ goals of creating a ‘tobacco-free’ country by a certain date. Researchers have presented models to attain this goal, including shifting the supply of tobacco to a monopoly-oriented endgame model (MOEM), wherein a state-owned entity controls the supply and distribution of tobacco products. Although not designed to end tobacco use, the Regie in Lebanon exhibits some of the key features identified in MOEM and hence can serve as a practical example from which to draw lessons. Methods We comprehensively review previous literature exploring tobacco endgame proposals featuring a MOEM. We distil these propositions into core themes shared between them to guide a deductive analysis of the operations and actions of the Regie to investigate how it aligns (or does not) with the features of the MOEM. Results Analysing the endgame proposals featuring MOEM, we generated two main themes: the governance of the organisation; and its operational remit. In line with these themes, the investigation of the Regie led to several reflections on the endgame literature itself, including that it: (i) does not seem to fully appreciate the extent to which the MOEM could end up acting like Transnational Tobacco Companies (TTC); (ii) has only vaguely addressed the implications of political context; and (iii) does not address tobacco growing despite it being an important element of the supply chain. Conclusion The implementation of tobacco endgame strategies of any type is now closer than ever. Using the Regie as a practical example allows us to effectively revisit both the potential and the pitfalls of endgame strategies aiming to introduce some form of monopoly and requires a focus on: (i) establishing appropriate governance structures for the organisation; and (ii) adjusting the financial incentives to supress any motivation for the organisation to expand its tobacco market.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Lebanese Regie state-owned tobacco monopoly: lessons to inform monopoly-focused endgame strategies

2022

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“…Such efforts are supported by a well-funded information management strategy where TTCs have positioned themselves as a major provider of data on illicit trade. Over the past two decades, TTC-commissioned reports have become the primary source of data on illicit tobacco throughout most of the world 90–92. These reports have often criticised been for lacking transparency and inadequate methodologies, producing inflated estimates of illicit tobacco trade and downplaying or concealing the presence of tobacco companies’ product on the illicit market 91.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over the past two decades, TTC-commissioned reports have become the primary source of data on illicit tobacco throughout most of the world. [90][91][92] These reports have often criticised been for lacking transparency and inadequate methodologies, producing inflated estimates of illicit tobacco trade and downplaying or concealing the presence of tobacco companies' product on the illicit market. 91 These reports-often regional and well-publicised-allow TTCs to define the problem of illicit tobacco trade (eg, its nature, scale and drivers) and to garner media interest, ensuring the industry's 'victim and solution' messaging dominates media coverage of illicit from global to local levels (table 4).…”

Section: Information Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the long-term policy influence strategies of the tobacco industry: two contemporary case studies

et al. 2022

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ObjectiveThis paper explores transnational tobacco companies’ (TTCs) long-term policy influence strategies using two case studies, harm reduction and illicit tobacco, to identify lessons for the tobacco control movement and wider efforts to address the commercial determinants of health.MethodsEvidence from a broad combination of sources including leaked documents and findings from over two decades of TTC monitoring were reviewed for each case study and categorised using the Policy Dystopia Model, focusing on the primary discursive strategy and key instrumental (action-based) strategies used.ResultsIn both case studies, TTCs seek to advance their interests by engaging primarily in reputation management, coalition management and information management strategies over the long-term to propagate their over-riding discursive strategy—‘we’ve changed, we are part of the solution’—despite clear evidence from both case studies that this is not the case. These strategies are globally coordinated and attempt primarily to reshape norms towards TTC involvement in tobacco control policy and delivery. Findings also suggest that industry denormalisation and the advent of Article 5.3 have led to the TTCs growing use of increasingly complex and opaque ‘webs of influence’.ConclusionsThe tobacco control community must develop its own proactive long-term strategies which should include industry denormalisation, new ways to fund research that reduce industry control, and improved transparency measures for research and policy. These findings, including TTC adaptations to Article 5.3, also indicate the need for more structural solutions, addressing corporate power and the underlying political and economic system. These lessons can be applied to other unhealthy commodity industries.

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Global rapid review of interventions to tackle the harms of illicit tobacco

Davies,

Bogdanovica,

Bains

et al. 2024

Tob Control

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ObjectiveThis review aimed to assess interventions designed to reduce harm from illicit tobacco (IT). We evaluated health outcomes, cost-effectiveness, the advantages and disadvantages of interventions, and contextual factors affecting implementation.Data sourcesWe searched MEDLINE and EMBASE databases from January 2002 to June 2024, the grey literature and undertook backward and forward citation searches of included studies without geographical restrictions.Study selectionEligible study types included non-randomised trials, interrupted time series, before–after studies, economic simulations and mixed-methods studies. Case studies providing outcome data linked to specific interventions were also included. Studies were screened by multiple reviewers for eligibility.Data extractionData was extracted on geographical location and dates of interventions, descriptions of the interventions, contexts and outcome data relevant to review objectives which were checked by a second reviewer. Quality assessment was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools appropriate for each study design.Data synthesisFive studies and 16 case studies were included. These reported on a range of interventions (including track-and-trace systems, anti-counterfeit measures and communications campaigns) and outcomes (including tax revenue and population attitudes toward IT). There was some evidence for the effectiveness of track-and-trace systems. Case studies, predominantly on national-level interventions, reported decreases in IT market share and increases in tax revenue suggesting potential benefits of multicomponent strategies.ConclusionsThere is promising limited evidence for interventions to tackle IT but they are seldom systematically evaluated. Comprehensive, independent evaluations are required to support policymaking and avoid tobacco industry influence in IT research.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42023452732.

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Tobacco industry commissioned reports on illicit tobacco trade in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: how accurate are they?

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

The Lebanese Regie state-owned tobacco monopoly: lessons to inform monopoly-focused endgame strategies

The Lebanese Regie state-owned tobacco monopoly: lessons to inform monopoly-focused endgame strategies

Understanding the long-term policy influence strategies of the tobacco industry: two contemporary case studies

Global rapid review of interventions to tackle the harms of illicit tobacco

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