Big tobacco, the new politics, and the threat to public health

Abstract

With several Tory leadership contenders sympathetic to its ideology, the Institute of Economic Affairs is closer to power than it has been for decades. In an exclusive investigation, Jonathan Gornall reveals how the organisation is funded by British American Tobacco and has links with senior conservative ministers. After orchestrating a series of attacks on public health initiatives, the IEA may now hold the key to No 10

‘Let them choose not to eat cake...’: Public health ethics, effectiveness and equity in government obesity strategy

“…14,22,23 Inevitably, we need to account for dominant socio-political realities, including the motivations and interests of political actors. 38 But overall, consistent with the aims expressed in Adams and colleagues' paper to win 'hearts and minds', 9 we need to place public health values alongside others and measure success and failure in that context. An in-the-round evaluation of the values and agency of individuals, different publics, and governmental and other actors must be at the core of interventions for more equitable and effective public health intervention strategies.…”

Exploring the gap in the public's understanding of the links between alcohol and cancer

“…28 Vitally, all public health campaigns must be fully independent of the drinks industry. Unfortunately, as long as the government continues to be influenced by the substantial power of the AI through media such as the Institute of Economic Affairs, 29 we are likely to be highly dependent on the role of civil society organisations. This year, PHE published new rules of engagement limiting work with commercial operators, which critically adopts the WHO's definition of 'alcohol industry': manufacturers of alcoholic beverages, wholesale distributors, major retailers and importers that deal solely and exclusively in alcohol beverages, or whose primary income comes from trade in alcoholic beverages.…”

David Oliver: The IEA has used covid-19 as another opportunity to brief against the NHS

“…It also relies on funding from tobacco, and in the past it has taken funding from gambling, sugar, soft drinks, and alcohol industries—which are hardly friends of public health policy. The BMJ has previously covered both issues, casting serious doubts on the IEA’s impartiality 3…”