Title : Is India on a path to reduce tobacco industry influence in tobacco control? Findings from the global tobacco industry interference index for 2019-2023
Abstract:
Background: The tobacco industry, motivated by profit, employs deceptive strategies, especially in countries like India, to conceal health risks and exploit legal loopholes, hindering effective tobacco control measures. Understanding these tactics is crucial for policymakers to implement preventive measures. This study focuses on analyzing tobacco industry interference trends in India from 2019 to 2023.
Design/Methods: The secondary data from 2019 to 2023, covering 33 to 90 countries, was analyzed using the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index Report. Country rankings were conducted using the questionnaire and scoring methodology as ASEAN Index, developed by Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance. Report, consisting of 7 major domains of TII index viz. policy participation, CSR activities, industry benefits, unnecessary interaction, transparency, conflict of interest, and preventive measures, was retrieved. A composite score was obtained after adding scores of different domains, for each year.
Results: The study's findings demonstrated an ongoing improvement in India's implementation of WHO FCTC article 5.3, as evidenced by a continuously decreasing score of 11 points between 2019 and 2023. When compare with other Asian countries, India faired better than Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand and south Korea. The most notable decline occurred in preventive measures, decreasing from 21 to 10, while the most substantial increase was seen in interaction level between the industry and government, fluctuating from 12 to 14.
Conclusions: There has been rise in CSR activities, forms of un-necessary interactions of TII with policy makers and participation in policy development; however, improvements are observed in providing benefits to tobacco industry, conflict of interest, and preventive measures. In order to fortify the regulatory framework, it is imperative to create awareness among stakeholders on conflict of interest, denormalize CSR initiatives by tobacco industry, provision of industry watch-dog in country and ‘whole of government’ approach in implementation of FCTC Article 5.3.
Summary: The tobacco industry employs deceptive strategies, especially in countries like India, to conceal health risks and exploit legal loopholes, hindering effective tobacco control. This study analyzes tobacco industry interference trends in India from 2019 to 2023 offering insights to policymakers and aiding the implementation of preventative measures
