Alcohol industry strategies to influence the reform of the Finnish Alcohol Law

Sama, Thomas Babila; Hiilamo, Heikki

doi:10.1177/1455072519857398

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 28 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For example, it could be used to ascertain whether and how industry strategies change over time and place, and in response to policy interventions (that is, do industries diversify their scientific strategies when their activity is restricted in some areas), or to examine the strategies used by additional industries, extending the typology where appropriate. This has been done in a similar fashion with the initial evidence-based typologies of corporate policy influence strategies [10][11][12], which have then been used to investigate the corporate political activity of other industries [9,[66][67][68].…”

Section: Implications For Policy and Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

The Science for Profit Model—How and why corporations influence science and the use of science in policy and practice

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Science has been at the centre of attempts by major industries, including tobacco, chemical, and pharmaceutical, to delay progress in tackling threats to human and planetary health by, inter alia, obscuring industry harms, and opposing regulation. Some aspects of this influence are well documented, others remain poorly understood, and similarities between industries remain underexplored. This study, therefore, aims to synthesise the literature to develop an evidence-based typology and model of corporate influence on science in order to provide an overview of this multi-faceted phenomenon. We obtained literature examining corporate attempts to influence science and the use of science in policy and practice from: database searches, bibliographies, expert recommendations, and web alerts; using a modified scoping review methodology (n = 68). Through interpretive analysis we developed the Science for Profit Typology and Model. We identified eight corporate sectors repeatedly engaging in activities to influence science, including: manipulation of scientific methods; reshaping of criteria for establishing scientific “proof”; threats against scientists; and clandestine promotion of policy reforms that increase reliance on industry evidence. The typology identifies five macro-level strategies used consistently across the eight industries, comprising 19 meso-level strategies. The model shows how these strategies work to maximise the volume, credibility, reach, and use of industry-favourable science, while minimising these same aspects of industry-unfavourable science. This creates doubt about harms of industry products/practices or efficacy of policies affecting industry; promotes industry-favoured policy responses and industry products as solutions; and legitimises industry’s role as scientific stakeholder. These efforts ultimately serve to weaken policy, prevent litigation, and maximise use of industry products/practices—maximising corporate profitability. We provide an accessible way to understand how and why corporations influence science, demonstrate the need for collective solutions, and discuss changes needed to ensure science works in the public interest.

show abstract

Section: Implications For Policy and Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

The Science for Profit Model—How and why corporations influence science and the use of science in policy and practice

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The PDM's ongoing relevance to contemporary tobacco industry influence in high-income countries (HICs) has been established 14 15 and research using the PDM and the previous reviews also showed that alcohol, food and gambling companies use broadly similar strategies. [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] However, a potential weakness remains that the PDM mostly draws on evidence from HICs. Eighty per cent of the papers (52 papers) included examined corporate political activities in HICs, and less than 8% (five papers) focused on low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) (the remaining eight papers had a regional or transnational focus), reflecting the literature base at the time.…”

Section: Bmj Global Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing more detailed taxonomies of tobacco industry political activity in low-income and middle-income countries: qualitative evidence from eight countries

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionHistorical evidence, predominantly from high-income countries (HICs), shows that the tobacco industry uses a recurring set of arguments and techniques when opposing tobacco control policies. This data formed the basis of a model of tobacco industry political activity known as the policy dystopia model (PDM). The PDM has been widely used in tobacco control research and advocacy and has subsequently been shown relevant to other unhealthy commodities industries in both HICs and low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Before it can be validated as a generic tool for researching corporate influence on policy, one needs to determine whether the PDM successfully captures contemporary corporate political activities in LMICs.MethodWe conducted semistructured interviews with 22 LMIC-based advocates and used the transcripts as the primary data source. The discursive and instrumental taxonomies constituting the PDM served as the starting point for the coding framework. Using thematic analysis, we combined deductive and inductive coding to ensure we captured all strategies from the PDM and the interviews.ResultsThis study found that the tobacco industry uses a set of discursive and instrumental strategies that is largely consistent across LMICs and with the PDM. We identified several minor contextual nuances absent from the PDM. Some of these nuances were characteristic to individual countries, while others to LMICs more broadly. They included the argument that tobacco control policies unfairly punish reputable tobacco industry actors, and an emphasis on instrumental strategies centred around maintaining a good image, rather than rehabilitating a tarnished image as emphasised in the PDM.ConclusionsAllowing for the nuances identified in this study, the PDM has been found to be fit for purpose. The revised model should now be tested through in-depth LMIC case studies and could be used to facilitate comparative studies of unhealthy commodity industries’ political activities.

show abstract

“…Multisectoral collaboration is also a point of convergence with existing literature on tobacco and SSB tax policies in Mexico, Montana, and Oregon 59 61 62. Additionally, like the tobacco industry in Ukraine, powerful actors in countries across the globe and across industries threatened by policy change similarly use lobbying to water down policy to their benefit, sometimes behind closed doors 20–22 24–26 28 33 34 63–65. The importance of the EU-UAA as a motivating factor driving policy adoption fits within the literature highlighting how the FCTC and Master Settlement Agreement have also motivated tobacco policy 24 66 67.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Seven-year tobacco tax plan in Ukraine: a case study of the actors, tactics and factors motivating policy passage

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ObjectiveIn December 2017, the Ukrainian Rada passed legislation that would increase tobacco taxes for the next 7 years to meet requirements of the European Union-Ukraine Association Agreement (EU-UAA). We analysed factors motivating passage of Ukraine’s 7-year tobacco tax plan as well as tactics used by both opponents and proponents to describe how the plan was passed.DesignA case study approach was used. Data were gathered from semistructured interviews (n=12) and document review (n=24) and analysed using inductive and deductive coding.ResultsThe European Union-Ukraine Association Agreement, a significant budget deficit and a history of tobacco tax success were all contextual factors contributing to policy passage. Proponents of high tobacco taxes capitalised on this opportunity, using media advocacy, generating scientific evidence and collaborating effectively across multiple sectors to support the passage of the plan. Opponents used media advocacy and lobbied to water down several features of the plan, resulting in smaller increases that might not meet EU-UAA requirements.ConclusionIndustry interference via lobbying continues to hamper passage of high tobacco taxes and should be addressed via legislation that aligns with Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Proponents should look for windows of opportunity caused by external events, create a multisectoral coalition, including tax experts and use media advocacy to support tax increases. Further work should continue to document what contextual factors support tobacco control policy change.

show abstract

Alcohol industry strategies to influence the reform of the Finnish Alcohol Law

Cited by 10 publications

References 28 publications

The Science for Profit Model—How and why corporations influence science and the use of science in policy and practice

The Science for Profit Model—How and why corporations influence science and the use of science in policy and practice

Developing more detailed taxonomies of tobacco industry political activity in low-income and middle-income countries: qualitative evidence from eight countries

Seven-year tobacco tax plan in Ukraine: a case study of the actors, tactics and factors motivating policy passage

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About