Tobacco Industry Observatory in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic

STOP, is an international monitoring organization that tracks the tobacco industry's interference practices in public policies. The organization has noted a resurgence of activity by this industry in many countries around the world in recent weeks. This resurgence in the industry's presence is closely linked to the Covid19 pandemic, which allows it to whitewash its image. This report is not exhaustive and does not cover all of the tobacco industry's reactions during this period. The aim of such a report is to illustrate and report on emerging trends and strategies observed from multiple sources. This first overview covers the last four weeks. It highlights the numerous initiatives referring to the use of corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a process for improving the image of manufacturers, in particular through targeted donations of materials, equipment or money.

• Tobacco manufacturers BAT (through its subsidiary Kentucky BioProcessing) and PMI (40% of Medicago's capital) have also communicated on their historical investments in pharmaceutical products, arguing that this contribution could help in the development of vaccines.

* The tobacco industry's efforts have not only been aimed at improving its image. It has also used the pandemic to promote its loss leaders. This was the case in Russia, for example, where the manufacturer PMI pushed its heated tobacco product, IQOS, in partnership with a home delivery app to deliver the product to people in lockdown.

• Manufacturers have also positioned themselves in opposition to protective measures adopted in countries in response to COVID-19 regulations on the sale and manufacture of tobacco products. PMI has maintained cigarette production in Brazil to avoid “compromising the activity,” despite a decree banning non-essential industrial manufacturing.

* The industry has also used the pandemic to criticize public health organizations such as the WHO, often through third parties.[1]-[2]The observatory recalls that in a context where governments must adopt numerous public health measures to deal with the pandemic situation in order to protect populations, any association with the tobacco industry whose interests go against the general interest is particularly dangerous and uncertain. ©Tobacco Free Generation

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[1] https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/world-health-organization-coronavirus-response-975543/ [2] https://www.vapingpost.com/2020/04/16/vietnam-who-rep-spreads-misinformation-and-proposes-e-cig-ban/©National Committee Against Smoking |