Study: Tobacconists articulate the tobacco lobby in France

To mark the twentieth anniversary of the entry into force of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the CNCT is publishing a report on tobacco industry lobbying, the result of a research project covering the years 2000 to 2024. The study reports on the importance of tobacco industry lobbying, mainly ensured by the influence of tobacconists, but also on the high porosity of public decision-makers with regard to disinformation in the tobacco sector.

The research project, Forms and Effects of Lobbying by the Tobacco Industry and its Allies in France (FELITAF), mainly focused on the lobbying of the tobacco industry in France on the issue of tax increases, is based on a mixed methodology. First, a triple documentary study was carried out, on all the articles from the general press, the professional press, and parliamentary questions published between 2000 and 2020 and dealing with the issue of tobacco taxation. Then, the research project conducted a qualitative study through 25 semi-directed interviews with parliamentarians. Finally, two quantitative studies were carried out: with a nationally representative sample of 2,150 French people, and with a sample of 163 political leaders, including parliamentarians. The project, supported by the Fund for the Fight against Addictions, is co-led by the CNCT and the School of Advanced Studies in Public Health (EHESP), and financed by the National Cancer Institute (InCa) and the Institute for Research in Public Health (IRESP).

The tobacco sector perceived positively and as a legitimate interlocutor by French decision-makers

The results of the study indicate that the power of the sector's lobbying lies essentially in the influence of the tobacconist network. Indeed, while less than one decision-maker in five reports having a favorable opinion of tobacco manufacturers, respondents report a very good opinion of tobacconists (69%), equivalent to that of public health agencies, such as Santé publique France. When they are asked to address the issue of tobacco, decision-makers are more inclined to turn to tobacconists (27%), than to other actors, including anti-smoking NGOs (21%) or public health agencies (18%). This trend is confirmed when decision-makers are asked to address tobacco taxation issues. Indeed, the tobacco sector is still seen by many decision-makers as a reference point on a subject such as tax policies, whether it concerns tobacconists (32%) or tobacco manufacturers (15%).

Regulations on tobacco lobbying ignored by decision-makers

The publication of the report on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the entry into force of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control allows the CNCT to recall France's commitments in the fight against the influence of the tobacco industry. Thus, by ratifying the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, France recognizes "the existence of a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the tobacco industry and those of public health". Consequently, the French public authorities are legally obliged to guarantee the independence of its public policies with regard to lobbying by the tobacco industry (Article 5.3). However, the quantitative study conducted among decision-makers shows that only 8% of decision-makers are aware of this provision.

General lack of awareness about tobacco

This lack of awareness seems to extend to the whole topic of smoking, and the research project shows a low acculturation of decision-makers to the scientific literature on the subject. Thus, nearly two out of three French decision-makers significantly underestimate the number of deaths linked to tobacco consumption, and less than half provide a correct estimate of the prevalence of smoking in France. Conversely, the majority of decision-makers tend to overestimate the extent of purchases made outside the tobacconist network.

Tobacco taxation: the influence of industry misinformation on decision-makers' beliefs

On the more specific issue of tobacco tax policies, the research project also shows that the influence of the tobacco industry permeates collective beliefs and perceptions, including those of public decision-makers. The study shows that the latter are more likely to subscribe to the arguments and misinformation of the tobacco industry, which are unfavorable to tax increases, than to scientifically established arguments, stating the health, economic and tax benefits associated with tax policies. Thus, 95% of public decision-makers consider that tax increases lead to an explosion in illicit trade. In reality, the scale of parallel markets in France has been stable since at least 2014. Furthermore, 67% of public decision-makers consider that tax increases penalize tobacconists economically. According to INSEE, tobacconists' turnover from tobacco sales actually increased by 100% between 2015 and 2023. Finally, less than half of decision-makers consider tax increases to be an effective tool in the fight against smoking, while the impact of increases on reducing prevalence is the subject of an established scientific consensus.

Strengthening the fight against the influence of the sector, taxation: the recommendations of the CNCT

In light of these results, the CNCT recommends continuing the transposition into domestic law of all the implementing directives of Article 5.3 (limiting interactions to the strict minimum and in full transparency). The CNCT also recommends adopting a broader definition of the concept of the tobacco industry, integrating both the tobacconist network and all organizations and individuals committed to promoting the interests of the tobacco industry. Finally, the CNCT calls on the public authorities to adopt a strong tax trajectory on all tobacco products.

FT