Study examines tobacco industry lobbying in National Assembly

A study analyzed parliamentary debates on tobacco taxation between 2000 and 2020. A large majority (77.2%) of the arguments identified oppose increases in tobacco taxes. For the most part, these arguments are similar to those mobilized by the tobacco industry. The study also shows that the figure of tobacconists plays a leading role in articulating the anti-tax discourse.

This study, conducted by the School of Advanced Studies in Public Health (EHESP) and the National Committee against Smoking (CNCT), published in the journal Tobacco Induced Diseases[1], analyzed more than 1,100 parliamentary documents: written and oral questions from MPs relating to tobacco taxation between 2000 and 2020, and the government's responses to these questions

International literature has already identified a set of recurring arguments used by the tobacco industry to oppose tax increases, which have been shown to be one of the most effective tools for reducing smoking prevalence. These arguments point out in particular the responsibility of tax policies in illicit trade, consider that tax increases entail costs for the economy and society, that they penalize poor consumers or that they are ineffective in reducing consumption.

An argument opposing tax policies widely taken up by French parliamentarians

Of the 3,176 arguments identified, 2,455 opposed the implementation of tax increases (77.2%) and 721 were in favour (22.7%). The arguments varied depending on the source of the documents studied: 92.4 % of the arguments of the parliamentarians were hostile to tax increases, while 52.1 % of the arguments of the governments' responses supported these increases.

The broad categories of arguments established by the study include the tobacco industry's discursive strategies. In particular, the main objections to tax policies consist of warning about the parallel markets that tax increases entail, and the unanticipated economic costs that such a measure would generate. The ineffectiveness of tax increases is also an argument regularly identified in these parliamentary documents.

The authors also note that French border departments ask more questions on average than non-border departments. As the study suggests, this could indicate that tobacconists in these departments exert greater pressure on these deputies.

The weight of tobacconists in France

The analysis of parliamentary documents provides information on the presence of a recurring argument specific to the French context, consisting of presenting tobacconists as essential players in social and economic life, particularly in rural areas, and as the main victims of tax policies. Such a perception echoes the strategy initiated by the Confédération des buralistes in the early 2000s, aimed at presenting this profession as local traders, essential to the cohesion of territories.

The mobilization of the positive figure of tobacconists as the main victim of tax increases thus plays a central role in dissuading public authorities from implementing tax policies. This argument contributes to constructing a dystopian narrative associated with tobacco tax increases, which "would harm the economy and society as a whole". Furthermore, the study recalls the ambivalent status of tobacconists: on the one hand, they are agents of the administration, working under the authority of Customs and benefiting from delegations of public service missions, and on the other hand, they are actors financed by manufacturers and spokespersons for the tobacco industry.

According to the authors, these results should encourage public health actors to follow parliamentary debates to analyze and anticipate arguments opposing tax policies. The study also highlights the need to enforce the measures provided for in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which aim to protect public policies from the tobacco lobby.

Raising tobacco taxes: an effective tool to reduce consumption

With 75,000 premature deaths linked to tobacco consumption and 24.51 T3T daily adult smokers, France is a poor performer in Europe. There is a wealth of scientific literature on the effectiveness of tobacco tax increases in reducing consumption. Article 6 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) requires the implementation of " tariff and tax measures which constitute an effective and important means of reducing tobacco consumption "This strategy is particularly effective for young people to dissuade them from starting to smoke and for vulnerable populations who are more sensitive to the effects of price increases.

Despite this major effectiveness, tax policies remain insufficiently deployed in most countries.[2] due to interference from the tobacco industry, which does not want to cut into its profit margins.

Keywords: Lobby, taxation, taxes, France, tobacconists, parliamentarians, politics, interference, tobacco

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[1] Topart F, Béguinot E, Gallopel-Morvan K. Analyzing arguments on tobacco tax increases. Focus on French parliamentary questions and responses, 2000–2020. Tobacco Induced Diseases. 2024;22(January):4. doi:10.18332/tid/175618.

[2] WHO technical manual on tobacco tax policy and administration, Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.