As the previous chapter has shown, the tobacco industry uses a wide array of methods to exert influence. One of its key strategies is to directly engage with government officials and agencies where possible. A key step in countering this is to therefore limit such interactions to only when strictly necessary. Additionally, ensuring transparency of these interactions is important: this avoids any perceptions of partnership or collaboration between the government and tobacco industry. Such an approach can provide consistency and effectiveness across government agencies, offices, in dealing with the tobacco industry and avert attempt to play one agency against another. Therefore, policies for interactions are needed so that the state, its agencies, and personnel, are clear on how it should act vis-à-vis the tobacco industry.
What you will learn
- What are deemed interactions between the government and tobacco industry that are “strictly necessary for regulation”
- What features should be included in a code of conduct that is in line with the recommendations of the Guidelines for Implementation of Article 5.3
- How other existing laws can support efforts to regulate interactions with the tobacco industry
Materials used in this chapter
Reports and references in the discussion
- Guidelines for the implementation of Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
- Article: The Convention Secretariat commends Australia for adopting new guidance for public officials on interacting with the tobacco industry
- Australia Department of Health: Guidance for public officials on interacting with the tobacco industry
- Australia Department of Health: Report on significant interactions between Health and the tobacco industry (2016-2019)
- Ethical Guidelines for Meeting with the Tobacco Industry by Judith Mackay and Mary Assunta