Tobacco Industry Threatens Public Health Worldwide

Credit: Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control

The 183 Parties to the global health treaty, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), will convene in Geneva from 17–22 November to strengthen efforts against tobacco use, the leading preventable cause of disease and responsible for 7 million deaths annually.

The WHO FCTC is unique in regulating an industry that produces and markets a uniquely harmful product. In October, the FCTC Secretariat issued an alert to Parties preparing for the eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11), urging them to remain vigilant against the industry’s tactics and misinformation.

According to Andrew Black, Acting Head of the FCTC Secretariat,

“This is not just lobbying; it is a deliberate strategy to derail consensus and weaken measures to further the treaty’s implementation.”

Despite government efforts to implement the treaty adopted 20 years ago, the tobacco industry remains highly lucrative, projected to generate over US$988 billion in 2025. Low- and middle-income countries bear the bulk of the tobacco burden, with 80% of the world’s 1.2 billion tobacco users living in these regions.

Governments have identified industry interference as the biggest barrier to implementing tobacco control measures. However, the tool to address this meddling lies in governments’ hands. Article 5.3 of the FCTC, an obligatory clause based on good governance principles, outlines actions governments can take to limit interactions with the tobacco industry strictly to regulatory purposes.

The Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025, a civil society report covering 100 countries, found that many governments are failing to protect public health. The Index revealed that the tobacco industry aggressively targets senior officials, particularly from non-health sectors, to lobby for industry interests.

In 14 countries, parliamentarians filed pro-industry bills, accepted industry input that delayed tobacco control laws, or promoted legislation favoring the industry. Senior officials also accepted sponsored study trips to tobacco facilities, most commonly Philip Morris International’s research facility in Switzerland.

The industry has used its charitable activities to influence public officials and whitewash its image. While 32 countries have banned tobacco-related CSR activities, 18 governments in LMICs, including Bangladesh, Bolivia, El Salvador, Fiji, Gabon, Jamaica, and Zambia, endorsed activities like tree planting, community programs, and cigarette butt cleanups.

Evidence shows that tax increases on tobacco products are the most effective way to reduce use. Yet the Index found that more than 60 of 100 countries were persuaded not to increase taxes, delayed increases, lowered rates, or granted exemptions.

Over 40 countries resisted the tobacco industry’s harm reduction narrative, banning e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. However, when governments pass strong legislation, the industry often challenges it in court. In Mexico, for example, the government banned e-cigarettes in 2023, but Philip Morris Mexico obtained a Supreme Court injunction to continue sales.

Industry interference has also obstructed tobacco-growing countries, including Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia, from implementing basic bans on advertising and promotions. Big Tobacco is now pushing new nicotine products in these countries, creating the next generation of nicotine addicts.

A lack of transparency in government interactions with the industry—absence of lobby registers, disclosure procedures, and public reporting—has allowed interference to continue.

However, there is hope. Countries like Botswana, Ethiopia, Finland, the Netherlands, and Palau demonstrate low levels of interference, protecting their bureaucracy and upholding public health mandates. These examples show that governments can stand up to the industry and strengthen tobacco control efforts.

Dr Mary Assunta, Head of Global Research and Advocacy at the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control, emphasizes the importance of vigilance and transparency in countering tobacco industry interference.