WHO urges countries to protect themselves from tobacco industry interference

The World Health Organization (WHO) is launching the “Stop the Lies” campaign, an initiative to protect young people from the tobacco industry and its addictive and deadly products, by calling for an end to tobacco industry interference in health policy[1]This campaign follows the publication of the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2023 which shows a weakening worldwide of health policy protections against growing tobacco industry interference.

The campaign aims to raise the voice of young people, the tobacco industry's main target. It denounces the tobacco industry's many tactics to counter health policies and aims to raise public awareness of the issue of protecting measures designed to protect the health of young people and future generations.

Protecting yourself from the tobacco industry lobby

In this campaign, WHO calls on countries to defend evidence-based tobacco control measures in the face of industry interference. It reiterates their commitment as Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control treaty. The treaty has 183 Parties in all regions of the world. The tobacco industry invests huge sums of money in lobbying to counter public health policies. It funds organizations that defend its interests and uses influencers on social media. It continues to sponsor events, fund biased research and support so-called corporate social responsibility initiatives for the sake of image. While the tobacco lobby is stronger in some regions of the world, no country is spared.

WHO calls on Parties to be particularly vigilant ahead of the 10^th session of the Conference of the Parties, COP10, which is to be held in the coming weeks in Panama. The British media outlet The Guardian revealed last October that the cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris International (PMI) was leading a vast lobbying campaign to prevent the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention from implementing protective measures regarding new tobacco and nicotine products (heated tobacco and vaping products) on the occasion of this meeting.[2].

Young people, the tobacco industry's main target

In a statement Communiqué broadcast in early November, youth groups from around the world are urging countries to adopt protective measures against the lobbying exercised by tobacco manufacturers and their allies. They point out that the industry needs to renew its customers, half of whom will die prematurely as a result of their tobacco consumption. While the market for traditional products is in decline, they point out that new products put on the market aim to develop new markets by recruiting new young consumers. The tactics deployed in particular on social networks are highlighted, with the marketing of various nicotine products and a discourse described as "greenwashing" on the issue of filters, for example, in order to better capture a young audience. New tobacco and nicotine products with eye-catching designs and attractive flavors have helped to popularize these products among the younger generation, while leaving many consumers largely unaware of the negative effects on their health according to the WHO.

Keywords: WHO, campaign, lobby, interference, youth, COP10, new products

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[1] Communicated, New WHO campaign highlights tobacco industry tactics to influence public health policies, WHO, published November 16, 2023, accessed November 17, 2023

[2] Generation without tobacco, Philip Morris attacks WHO and FCTC at Conference of the Parties, published October 18, 2023, accessed November 17, 2023