In Australia, the “Dirty Asthray” and “Exploding Vape” awards go to BAT and Meta

The infamy awards concocted by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Australian Council on Smoking and Health (ACOSH) have drawn attention to BAT's lobbying practices and Meta's negligence.

The 29^th The Dirty Astray Awards, organized by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Australian Council on Smoking and Health (ACOSH), on August 29, 2023, honored British American Tobacco (BAT) for its lobbying activities.[1]Every year, this ironic ceremony draws attention to the practices of the tobacco industry and its partners.

A new award, the "Exploding Vape Award," was given to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp.

Lobbying through third parties for BAT

With the "Dirty Astray award," it was BAT's lobbying activities that were highlighted, particularly through the Responsible Vaping Australia (RVA) group. This group, set up from scratch by BAT without revealing its affiliation and presented as an independent association of e-cigarette retailers and resellers, used all kinds of pressure on national and local institutional actors to try to reduce the scope of the new law on tobacco and vaping products. This law, the principle of which was adopted on May 2, 2023, provides in particular for authorizing the importation and sale of electronic cigarettes only upon presentation of a medical prescription.

The technique of using front groups to more discreetly push its positions has been dubbed "astroturf," after a brand of artificial grass meant to appear larger than life. In order to maintain unrestricted in-store retail sales, RVA's rhetoric included claims of combating the illicit trade in e-cigarettes—an argument regularly used by the tobacco industry to counter tax increases on tobacco products.

Contradiction with its own principles for Meta

For its part, Meta was awarded the "Exploding Vape Award" for having contradicted its own rules on tobacco and vaping products. Meta has a seemingly very strict policy regarding these products. However, the company does not intervene when these products are sold online on its own networks, by individuals or professionals. The commercial promotion and promotion of the use of these products are also targeted by the "Exploding Vape Award." The organizations behind this award emphasize that the young, even very young, audience of the social networks managed by Meta makes these commercial and advertising practices all the more interesting for the tobacco and vaping industry, but all the more dangerous for health.

In France, a ceremony similar is organized every year by the National Committee against Smoking (CNCT). "5.3 awards"[2] are distributed to people or organizations who have made progress in the fight against smoking, while "golden cigarette butts" are awarded to those who work more or less covertly for the tobacco and vaping industries.

Keywords: Dirty Astray award, Exploding Vape award, AMA, ACOSH, BAT, RVA, Meta, lobbying.

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[1] Big tobacco & social media receive Dirty Ashtray & Exploding Vape awards, AMA, published August 29, 2023, accessed August 30, 2023.

[2] With reference to Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which prohibits the involvement and influence of the tobacco industry in public health policies.