Cancer conference canceled due to tobacco industry ties

A department of the Economist publisher has been forced to cancel a cancer conference (World Cancer Series Europe) at the last minute because of its association with tobacco companies Philip Morris and Japan Tobacco. Several major associations including the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) had announced their withdrawal from the event for these reasons.

Economist Impact, part of the Economist group, which owns the eponymous business weekly, was due to hold its 10th annual series on global cancer in Brussels later this month.

Withdrawals of key speakers and associations from the event

The World Cancer Series Europe is organised by The Economist Group and focuses on the challenges and opportunities in cancer care in Europe. The event brings together a diverse group of stakeholders, including policy makers, healthcare providers, business leaders, academics, non-governmental organisations, patient representatives and investors. The series focuses on key themes such as innovation, equity and excellence, which are at the heart of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.

Concerns have been raised about accepting sponsorships from tobacco companies, given the well-documented health risks between smoking and cancer. This has highlighted ongoing debates within the health care community about funding sources and conflicts of interest. The decision to cancel the conference is specifically aimed at preserving the integrity of discussions about cancer care.

In a press release[1], the UICC said "This decision comes after UICC learned that Economist Impact is working with Philip Morris International (PMI) and Japan Tobacco International (JTI)." UICC says it has a long-standing policy of not engaging with the tobacco industry, in line with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which states that “there is a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the tobacco industry and those of public health.” UICC says this policy reflects its commitment to public health and its desire to reduce the global burden of cancer. UICC, which was a “supporting organization” of the Economist Impact event, has more than 1,100 member organizations in over 170 countries and territories.

Shortly afterwards, Dr Wendy Yared, director of the Association of European Cancer Leagues, said she had written to the organisers on 16 September to also withdraw from the conference. Other organisations including the Tobacco Control Research Group and the Smokefree Partnership welcomed the decision and encouraged other partners to withdraw their participation.

The tobacco industry is trying to participate in scientific and medical events to try to improve its image, normalize its discourse on "harm reduction" by promoting its new tobacco and nicotine products.[2].

A media sponsored by the tobacco industry

According to Ian Hemming, Economist Impact’s managing director, the outlet has a longstanding policy of not accepting sponsorship from tobacco companies for Economist Impact’s work or events related to health care. However, the Economist Impact website includes several branded pieces of content sponsored by the tobacco industry, such as an article titled At Fine Balance. Deliver Change, which is “backed by Philip Morris International” and features the company’s logo[3].

In this article, the manufacturer is compared to carmakers that developed polluting combustion engines but are now moving towards cleaner technologies, such as electric and hybrid vehicles.

One of the passages from the article is as follows: "Similarly, a company like Philip Morris International is evolving into a science and technology-driven company that strives to offer its customers better non-combustion alternatives."

Another article, titled “The Future CEO’s Handbook – Preparing for the Future in Unstable Times” describes the manufacturer's transformation, particularly since its vision of a "smoke-free world" through the marketing of new tobacco and nicotine products (heated tobacco, vaping products and nicotine pouches). It can be read “Economist Impact, supported by PMI Connects, an initiative of Philip Morris International, brought together nine business leaders to discuss how to operate effectively in these challenging times. The discussion focused on people, who are the key to resilience, agility and adaptability in business operations, ensuring long-term success.”

Another article, written by Japan Tobacco's senior vice president of corporate affairs, claims that rising cigarette prices are pushing consumers to turn to illegal sources of tobacco, depriving governments of additional revenue. "As governments seek to curb budget deficits, taking action against illicit trade could prevent the loss of billions of dollars captured by criminals each year," specifies the author of the article.

The increase in illicit tobacco trade is an argument widely used by the tobacco industry. It is put forward during discussions to increase tobacco taxes. Manufacturers claim that these increases would encourage smuggling, and therefore crime and insecurity. In reality, there is no correlation between the levels of taxation of tobacco products and the levels of illicit trade. As the National Committee against Smoking (CNCT) points out, this argument is also used to prevent the implementation of other public health policies, such as plain packaging or the banning of flavours.

©Tobacco Free Generation

AE

[1] Communicated, UICC withdraws from the World Cancer Series, UICC, published September 10, 2024, accessed September 23, 2024

[2] Tobacco-free generationTobacco industry participates in scientific events to improve its image, published on February 24, 2024, consulted on September 23, 2024

[3] Mark Sweney and Anna Bawden, Economist Group cancer conference canceled due to links to tobacco firms, The Guardian, published September 21, 2024, accessed September 23, 2024