219250 Origins of the alliance between tobacco and alcohol industries to shape public policy

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Nan Jiang, PhD , Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Pamela Ling, MD, MPH , Division of General Internal Medicine, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Background: Tobacco and alcohol industries share common goals when facing government regulation, opposing policies such as excise tax increases or advertising restrictions. The origins or extent of collaboration between these two industries and the effect on tobacco legislation is not known.

Objective: To describe how tobacco and alcohol industries built an alliance and worked together to affect tobacco legislation.

Methods: Analysis of previously secret tobacco industry documents.

Results: In 1983, the Tobacco Institute developed the Consumer Tax Alliance (CTA) aiming to oppose increased taxes. The CTA obtained support from the Beer Institute which provided funding and published newspaper opinion-editorials against increased cigarette taxes. In 1984, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) developed the “Partisan Project” aimed to foster a massive network of individuals nationwide speaking out in opposition to smoke free environments. Several alcoholic beverage associations provided RJR access to their members. In 1986, the Coalition Against Regressive Taxation (CART) was formed to oppose excise tax and tariff increases, and many tobacco and alcohol companies joined. These alliances affected tobacco legislation, such as the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Bill and Federal excise tax in 1987, and continued anti-tax activities in the late 1990s.

Discussions: The combined resources of tobacco and alcohol companies affected tobacco legislation. Tobacco companies may continue to collaborate with alcohol and other industries to oppose future legislation. Tobacco control advocates should expose the covert alliances between tobacco and alcohol companies, educate the public about the unique threats of tobacco, and prevent alliances between tobacco and other industries.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify two ways that tobacco and alcohol companies or their lobbying groups worked together to affect public policy 2. Discuss two examples of tobacco control policies that were defeated by tobacco and alcohol industry cooperative efforts 3. Articulate how tobacco control advocates should address future cooperation between the tobacco and alcohol industries

Keywords: Tobacco, Policy/Policy Development

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have worked in UCSF as a postdoctoral scholar since 2009. I have published 4 peer reviewed articles, and 2 of them are about tobacco use.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4133.0: Monitoring Tobacco Industry Activities