Tobacco industry lobbying undermines public health in Asia

The implementation of tobacco control measures is a political choice. Although tobacco control will improve the wellbeing of the populations that governments serve, the industry spares no attempt to deter, dilute, or delay effective measures for tobacco control, be it taxation or prominent pictorial health warnings. There is troubling evidence that the tobacco industry is exerting undue influence in several Asian countries, in some cases with the complicity of governments, to thwart public health measures.

The case against tobacco is clear. An addiction that usually starts in childhood,1 smoking is predicted to kill one billion people in the 21st century,2 with a global social burden costing an estimated $2.1tn (Rs134tn; £1.4tn; €1.9tn) a year.3 The means to prevent this are set out clearly in the World Health Organization’s 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the associated MPOWER policy framework (Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies, Protect people from tobacco smoke, Offer help to quit tobacco use, Warn about the dangers of tobacco, Enforce bans on tobacco …