PMI’s proxy trade dispute with Thailand

MacKenzie, Ross; Lee, Kelley

doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2019-055374

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 6 publications

(7 reference statements)

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“…After it added Thailand to the Asia ETS consultants programme in 1990, 48 it established close connections with the Chulabhorn Research Institute (a WHO Collaborating Centre for Capacity Building and Research in Environmental Health Science) during 1991–1999. 49 PM’s comprehensive plans and continuity resulted in the continuing growth in PM’s market share since it legally entered the country 50 compared with other TTCs. As of 2019, PM held the largest market share of cigarettes in Thailand (50%), whereas TTM held 43% of the share and other TTCs held only a minuscule market share.…”

Section: Lessons For Tobacco Industry’s Efforts To Overturn Bans On Ementioning

confidence: 99%

How to combat efforts to overturn bans on electronic nicotine delivery systems: lessons from tobacco industry efforts during the 1980s to open closed cigarette markets in Thailand

Patanavanich

Glantz

2021

BMJ Glob Health

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Until 1990, it was illegal for transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) to sell cigarettes in Thailand. We reviewed and analysed internal tobacco industry documents relevant to the Thai market during the 1980s. TTCs’ attempts to access the Thai cigarette market during the 1980s concentrated on political lobbying, advertising and promotion of the foreign brands that were illegal to sell in Thailand at the time. They sought to take advantage of the Thai Tobacco Monopoly’s (TTM) inefficiency to propose licencing agreements and joint ventures with TTM and took advantages of unclear regulations about cigarette marketing to promote their products through advertising and sponsorship activities. After their initial efforts failed, they successfully lobbied the US to impose trade sanctions to liberalise Thailand’s market. Similar to the situation for cigarettes in the 1980s, since 2017, Philip Morris International has worked in parallel with a pro-e-cigarette group to pressure Thailand’s government to allow sales of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS; including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products), knowing the products were illegal under Thai law. Health advocates and government authorities should be aware of past TTCs’ tactics for cigarettes and anticipate that TTCs will attempt to use international trade law to force markets open for ENDS if their domestic efforts fail.

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Section: Lessons For Tobacco Industry’s Efforts To Overturn Bans On Ementioning

confidence: 99%

How to combat efforts to overturn bans on electronic nicotine delivery systems: lessons from tobacco industry efforts during the 1980s to open closed cigarette markets in Thailand

Patanavanich

Glantz

2021

BMJ Glob Health

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“…The Industry Watch has long been a closely followed feature of the journal, identifying usual and unusual, curious, and sometimes illegal and unethical industry activities. This issue features pieces illuminating how the industry has used trade and investment treaties to undermine national tobacco control efforts, 33 how JUUL is entering Indonesia 34 and how a wholly owned insurance company subsidiary of Philip Morris International offers discounts for users of PMI's IQOS heated tobacco products that are greater than those offered for people who quit smoking, with no discount for use of nicotine replacement therapy products. 35 Churchill et al document IQOS' introduction into the US market.…”

Section: Ruth E Malonementioning

confidence: 99%

The tobacco industry, 2020: a snapshot

Malone

2020

Tob Control

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Successful countering of tobacco industry efforts to overturn Thailand's ENDS ban

Patanavanich

Glantz

2020

Tob Control

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BackgroundAfter Thailand enacted laws to ban the import and sale of all types of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs)) in 2015, pro-ENDS advocacy groups pressured the government to lift the ban, particularly after Philip Morris International (PMI) started promoting its HTP IQOS in 2017.MethodsWe reviewed information related to ENDS in Thailand between 2014 and 2019 from Thai newspaper articles, meeting minutes and letters submitted to government agencies, websites and social media platforms of pro-ENDS networks and Thai tobacco control organisations.ResultsThe tobacco industry and the pro-ENDS groups used five tactics to try to reverse the Thai ban on ENDS: creating front groups, lobbying decision-makers, running public relations campaigns, seeking to discredit tobacco control advocates and funding pro-tobacco harm reduction research. ENDS Cigarette Smoking Thailand (ECST), a pro-ENDS group in Thailand, worked in parallel with Philip Morris Thailand Limited (PMTL) to oppose the ban. The group connected with international coalitions that promote harm reduction through the PMI-funded Foundation for a Smoke-Free World.ConclusionAlthough ECST and PMTL continuously worked to revoke the ban since 2017, the government still kept ENDS illegal as of October 2020. This decision resulted from the strong commitment and collaboration among Thai tobacco control organisations and their shared vision to protect the public’s health from harmful tobacco products. The linkages between the pro-ENDS movement in Thailand and the tobacco companies could inform health advocates and policy-makers in other low and middle income countries facing pressure to market ENDS.

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PMI’s proxy trade dispute with Thailand

Cited by 2 publications

References 6 publications

How to combat efforts to overturn bans on electronic nicotine delivery systems: lessons from tobacco industry efforts during the 1980s to open closed cigarette markets in Thailand

How to combat efforts to overturn bans on electronic nicotine delivery systems: lessons from tobacco industry efforts during the 1980s to open closed cigarette markets in Thailand

The tobacco industry, 2020: a snapshot

Successful countering of tobacco industry efforts to overturn Thailand's ENDS ban

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