A study warns against the CSR strategy of tobacco companies

Communications from tobacco companies highlighting their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities can influence public perception, according to a study conducted by American and Brazilian researchers with support from the Institute for Global Tobacco Control (IGTC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.[1], The messages conveyed by the tobacco and nicotine industries improve the image of these companies and lead some consumers to perceive their cigarettes as less harmful. These results confirm that communication by the tobacco industry regarding CSR activities is akin to advertising..

An experimental study in Brazil on the public's perception of tobacco CSR

In a broad sense, "corporate social responsibility" is the idea that companies have an ethical obligation to improve society beyond generating profits and enriching shareholders.

The study conducted in Brazil involved 4,047 adults, who were shown two videos about a fictional but realistic tobacco manufacturer, "Cruzeiro do Sul Inc.".

They were identical in their images, but differed in narrative content: one presented the company and described its economic performance, the other focused on its CSR by addressing the company's values, its environmentally friendly production and its support for farming families and local communities.

Participants answered questions with a value scale on the more or less harmful nature of the Cruzeiro cigarette brand compared to other brands.

The results show that people exposed to the CSR-focused video had a more positive perception of the company, and according to a halo effect, associated its image as a caring and responsible entity with the concept of "good for health", thus tending to judge its products as less harmful than those of its competitors.

This effect was particularly pronounced in women and non-smokers.

However, no significant effect was observed on respondents' overall support for tobacco control policies or on their intention to use the products.

However, researchers believe that these messages can influence consumer perception, support marketing objectives and contribute to maintaining misinformation about the risks associated with smoking, weakening public health policy efforts.

CSR and its associated communication are advertising

The provisions of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) are very clear: they classify CSR activities and related communications as advertising. The guidelines for implementing Article 13, which focuses on advertising and sponsorship, as well as those dedicated to protecting public policies from tobacco industry interference, call for their prohibition.

The WHO has been warning for several years against the use of CSR activities by the tobacco industry., in the broader context of a global offensive by the tobacco industry to extend its influence political, economic and social.

Large tobacco companies such as Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco have used corporate social responsibility to block, weaken, and delay anti-smoking policies. Through this approach, they seek to improve their image, particularly with investors, without fundamentally changing their practices, and to gain access to policymakers while forging alliances.

The study highlights the importance of applying existing laws which establish the general principle of all forms of advertising and sponsorship in favor of tobacco.

Graziele Grilo, co-author of the study, program officer and regional manager for Latin America at the IGTC, stated:« In recent years, Brazil has seen countless examples of tobacco companies engaging in CSR activities and highlighting these efforts in their communications, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. »", during which tobacco manufacturers, for example, provided supplies, funds and COVID-19 test kits to hospitals and government health agencies, mainly in tobacco-producing regions.

The stakes are high: this study is taking place against a backdrop of a recent national increase in the number of smokers. In 2024, according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Health, Brazil recorded the first increase in adult smoking prevalence since 2007, rising from 9.3 per 100,000 to 11.6 per 100,000.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1]Borges LC, Turci SRB, Perez S, Crosbie E, Forline L, Grilo G, Pearson JL, Association between declarations of corporate social responsibility of a tobacco company, apoio to company and policies and perceptions and intentions between brasileiros, Cadernos de Saúde Pública, published on February 4, 2026, accessed on February 11, 2026

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