Exposing Tobacco Industry Influence: A Call for Accountability
Addiction Economy Thought for Today - Turd polishing is quite effective in distracting us all from the need to put the squeeze on health harming companies - aligning themselves to 'good causes' really does work. Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG) depressingly enlightening Tobacco Tactics website shows:
"There is general consensus in the global tobacco control community, and among parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), that tobacco industry interference is the greatest barrier to progress in reducing tobacco’s deadly toll. Article 5.3 of the FCTC, obliges countries to protect their health policies from the “vested interests of the tobacco industry”.
https://lnkd.in/eXCDM3j7
So well done The Guardian Newspaper for their expose on tobacco funding of the Economist Impact conferences. One health conference cancelled, headline speakers pulling out of the Future Health In Europe, let's see about the Health and AI one. Funny to see the contortions of Economist spokespeople trying to pretend it's all fine! Article reports:
"Pressure is mounting on the publisher of the Economist over its commercial ties with the world’s three biggest tobacco companies, after numerous senior NHS and international health experts pulled out of two more Economist Impact health conferences after the Guardian’s investigation into its links with big tobacco.
"Last week, the Guardian revealed that Economist Impact, a division of the Economist Group that ran 136 events in its latest financial year, had been forced to cancel a high-profile world cancer conference in Brussels at the last minute after a backlash from speakers and those due to attend.
"The investigation found that Economist Impact has deep ties with Philip Morris International (PMI), Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and British American Tobacco (BAT)."
What I pay my Guardian sub for (accidentally two as it happens) - and the fact that I can tell y'all about it and you can look for free. Go Guardian!
https://lnkd.in/eVtTd2Xw