The Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index (Global Tobacco Index) is a review of how governments are responding to influences from the tobacco industry and protecting their public health policies from commercial interests as required under the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
This Global Tobacco Index, originally initiated by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), is produced by the Global Centre for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC) as part of the STOP (Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products) global tobacco industry watchdog. GGTC, based at the School of Global Studies, Thammasat University, is a joint initiative with SEATCA. It has been designated as the WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub on Article 5.3 and its activities focus on addressing obstacles to tobacco control from the tobacco industry and in empowering governments to advance tobacco control.
Preguntas Frecuentes
What is the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index?
Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index (Global Tobacco Index) is a global survey on how governments are responding to tobacco industry interference and protecting their public health policies from commercial and vested interests as required under the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
What does the Global Tobacco Index measure?
The Global Tobacco Index rates countries on their response to tobacco industry interference through a survey questionnaire. The questionnaire contains 20 questions covering 7 indicators of industry interference on which countries are scored:
Indicator 1: The industry's participation in policy development
Indicator 2: Tobacco industry-related corporate social responsibility activities
Indicator 3: Benefits given to the tobacco industry
Indicator 4: Unnecessary interaction between government and industry
Indicator 5: Measures for transparency
Indicator 6: Preventing conflicts of interest
Indicator 7: Measures that prevent industry influence
What is the Global Tobacco Index’s methodology?
The Global Tobacco Index uses the questionnaire developed by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) based on the Article 5.3 Guidelines. All information used in this report is obtained from the public domain. A scoring system is applied to make the assessment. The score ranges from 0 - 5, where 5 indicates highest level of industry interference, and 1 is low or no interference. Countries are ranked according to total scores provided by civil society groups. Hence the lower the score, the lower the overall level of interference, which augurs well for the country. Dependence on information from the public domain has its limitation and this limitation is acknowledged.
Who leads creation of the Global Tobacco Index?
The Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC), based at the School of Global Studies, Thammasat University, leads the creation and production of the biennial report. It has been designated as the WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub on Article 5.3 and its activities focus on addressing obstacles to tobacco control from the tobacco industry and in empowering governments to advance tobacco control.
Why have we published this report?
- People have a right to know what their government is doing to protect health policy from vested interests and how the tobacco industry may be meddling in efforts to protect health in their country.
Why does the tobacco industry try to influence policy?
- The tobacco industry is purely driven by profit, not health. It seeks to influence policy to create an environment in which it can sell as many tobacco products as possible.
Undermining Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is a critical strategy for the industry because implementation would neutralize all other industry efforts to influence policy.
Does the tobacco industry have a place in policy?
- The industry has no place at the policy table and across government. Any interactions should only be those strictly necessary to regulate the industry. Even these interactions should be disclosed so there is transparency regarding the industry’s influence.
This industry is uniquely dangerous: its business relies on producing, marketing and selling addictive and harmful products, with cigarettes known to kill more than half of all lifetime users. It markets these products to youth, to replace customers who quit or die.
Is the tobacco industry changing?
- The spin we hear from tobacco companies is about protecting their business, not health. They continue to oppose policies that are proven to reduce smoking, like tobacco taxes.
The industry should be held accountable for the harm it causes, not allowed to influence policy and given incentives.
What did the tobacco industry do during the COVID-19 pandemic?
- While the world suffered during COVID-19, a well-resourced, harmful industry took advantage of an opportunity to gain influence, meddle in life-saving health policies and secure preferential treatment.
What should governments do?
- Act to protect health, not the tobacco industry’s interests.
- Reject tobacco industry donations and lobbying.
- Parties to the WHO FCTC must do more to protect policy, across government.
- Governments that have not signed, ratified and implemented the treaty should do so.
- Any government, with political will, can implement protocols and codes of conduct that help improve efforts to protect policy.