Editing Money
From TobaccoControl Tactics
Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
The edit can be undone. Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision | Your text | ||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
== Funding overview == | == Funding overview == | ||
− | Governments are the biggest players in the tobacco market. In the US, for example, | + | Governments are the biggest players in the tobacco market. In the US, for example, As Doctor Gio Gori has noted, various areas of government at the turn of the twenty-first century received around $40 billion annually from tobacco, against less than $9 billion received by the entire industry. "It is governments that benefit from and control the tobacco trade far more than the tobacco industry, which has been virtually nationalized by taxation and the US Master Settlement Agreement with the states," [http://www.olivernorvell.com/GoriReIOM.pdf says Gori]. The Master Settlement Agreement is a price-fixing scheme which makes manufacturers, in effect, surrogate tax collectors, even as direct government-collected taxes also continue to grow exponentially. The situation is similar worldwide, where total taxes on cigarettes typically outstrip the actual price of cigarettes, several times to one. |
− | As | + | As the Big Tobacco industry, shrunken, regulated into submission, and gagged against protest, has declined, the Tobacco Control industry, supported by governments and the pharmaceutical industry which produces “smoking cessation” products, has become a financial colossus. The losers are the people. Their losses come in the form of suffering a divisive victimization campaign against smokers, and of wealth wasted on TC bureaucracy and junk science research, as well as from tarnishing of the good name of science, blocking of the development of effective reduced risk cigarettes, and oppression in the form of ever-encroaching restrictions on personal choice and individual freedom. All industries, in great part and essentially, are about money. The pharmaceutical and Tobacco Control industries are about very big money. A general illustration of forces in play is provided below. |
===Money Flow (graphical)=== | ===Money Flow (graphical)=== | ||
<imagemap> | <imagemap> | ||
− | Image:TC_Money.png | + | Image:TC_Money.png |
# Comment | # Comment | ||
poly 626 258 669 171 649 168 645 86 602 91 598 173 581 177 [[#pharmaceutical|Pharmaceutical NRT producers]] | poly 626 258 669 171 649 168 645 86 602 91 598 173 581 177 [[#pharmaceutical|Pharmaceutical NRT producers]] | ||
Line 90: | Line 85: | ||
===Explanation=== | ===Explanation=== | ||
− | * <span id="market">'''Smokers' | + | * <span id="market">'''Smokers' Market''': A worldwide market, worth billions of dollars, where two main industries (the tobacco industry and the pharmaceutical smoking cessation industry (NRT)) are competing for smokers' money and sympathy. The market is controlled by a third interest party who have sided with the pharmaceutical industry: government. For government, smokers are an easy cash cow. |
− | :The fourth interest group, the Tobacco Control industry, is working closely together with the | + | :The fourth interest group, the Tobacco Control industry, is working closely together with the pharmaceutical industry and government to get a share of the market, selling advice to government.</span> |
:Smokers are crushed between these interests, eventually paying the bill. | :Smokers are crushed between these interests, eventually paying the bill. | ||
− | + | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
<span id="pharmaceutical"> | <span id="pharmaceutical"> | ||
− | == | + | == Big Pharma funding of the anti-tobacco industry == |
+ | </span> | ||
+ | Through their funding of university medical faculties that form our doctors, the funding of scientific studies, their affiliations with public health organizations such as the WHO, the CDC and the FDA, their intense lobbying of politicians to influence public health policy, or the funding of political campaigns, the tentacles of the pharmaceutical industry are everywhere. There are billions of dollars being directly donated or funneled through foundations and non-profits into the anti-smoking campaigns, smoking bans and the increase of tobacco taxation worldwide to profit the bottom line of the pharmaceutical industry that competes against the tobacco industry for the nicotine market. | ||
− | + | The following are just some examples of the Big Pharma money trail: | |
− | [ | + | [http://www.who.int/inf-pr-1999/en/pr99-04.html WHO LAUNCHES PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY TO HELP SMOKERS QUIT] |
− | + | Excerpt: | |
− | + | <blockquote>The strength of the Partnership Project lies in the fact that it has brought together three major pharmaceutical companies, Glaxo Wellcome, Novartis Consumer Health and Pharmacia & Upjohn, all manufacturers of treatment products for tobacco dependence, to support a common goal that will have a significant impact on public health. The Project provides a model which can provide a basis for future partnerships with the private sector in other important health areas.</blockquote> | |
− | |||
− | + | [http://cleanairquality.blogspot.ca/2007/02/smoking-bans-good-public-policy-or.html Smoking bans: good public policy? Or simply a great pharmaceutical marketing plan? ] | |
− | + | Excerpt: | |
− | + | <blockquote>(...) upon some preliminary investigation it is clear that these NGO's are backed by $446,000,000.00 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) which has direct ties to the Johnson & Johnson Company, and J & J is the manufacturer of Nicoderm & Nicoderm CQ via its wholly owned subsidiary ALZA. Recently, the buyout of Pfizer Consumer Health(see page 4 or 61) means J & J profits even more from the passage of smoking bans thru additional sales of Nicotrol, Nicorette, Commit, (see pgs 32,33,56) and any other over the counter smoking cessation drugs once manufactured by Pfizer Consumer Health division. | |
− | |||
− | <blockquote>(...) upon some preliminary investigation it is clear that these | ||
Global Health Partnerships </blockquote> | Global Health Partnerships </blockquote> | ||
− | + | [http://www.pfizer.com/responsibility/global_health/global_health_partnerships.jsp Tobacco control grantees of a $47 000 000 grant from Pifzer to combat cancer and tobacco use included :] | |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
<blockquote>Alliance for Control of Tobacco Use (Brazil), Hellenic Thoracic Society (Greece), SAMBA (Sweden), and Umberto Veronesi Foundation (Italy) | <blockquote>Alliance for Control of Tobacco Use (Brazil), Hellenic Thoracic Society (Greece), SAMBA (Sweden), and Umberto Veronesi Foundation (Italy) | ||
Line 132: | Line 119: | ||
• Helping Smokers Quit: Comprehensive Cancer Center at Freiburg University Medical Center (Germany), Health Promotional Foundation (Poland), Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario (Canada), Hungarian Academy of Teaching Family Physicians, Japan Medical-Dental Association for Tobacco Control, Partnership for Prevention (U.S.), Philippine Business for Social Progress, QUIT UK/European Network of Quitlines (Central and Eastern Europe)</blockquote> | • Helping Smokers Quit: Comprehensive Cancer Center at Freiburg University Medical Center (Germany), Health Promotional Foundation (Poland), Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario (Canada), Hungarian Academy of Teaching Family Physicians, Japan Medical-Dental Association for Tobacco Control, Partnership for Prevention (U.S.), Philippine Business for Social Progress, QUIT UK/European Network of Quitlines (Central and Eastern Europe)</blockquote> | ||
− | |||
− | + | The following link leads to a letter from ASH, UK to GSK about how disgusted they are that Derek Bonham, Chairman of Imperial Tobacco sits on the board of GSK. | |
+ | |||
+ | [http://www.data-yard.net/science/payoffs/ash.pdf Links between ASH, UK and Glaxo Smith Klein (GSK)] | ||
− | + | Excerpts: | |
− | <blockquote>ASH has worked closely with both Glaxo and SmithKline Beecham staff and always welcomed the active collaboration. (...) We have worked with GSK under the auspices of the WHO-Europe Partnership Project on tobacco dependence and at various one-off opportunities. ASH was instrumental in securing greater government commitment to smoking cessation products in the NHS National Plan and we have helped with PR for both Zyban and Niquitin CQ. Our involvement with GSK staff has, I believe, been mutually beneficial, and we have gained from exposure to the company's arguments and insights (...)</blockquote> | + | <blockquote> ASH has worked closely with both Glaxo and SmithKline Beecham staff and always welcomed the active collaboration. (...) We have worked with GSK under the auspices of the WHO-Europe Partnership Project on tobacco dependence and at various one-off opportunities. ASH was instrumental in securing greater government commitment to smoking cessation products in the NHS National Plan and we have helped with PR for both Zyban and Niquitin CQ. Our involvement with GSK staff has, I believe, been mutually beneficial, and we have gained from exposure to the company's arguments and insights (...)</blockquote> |
<blockquote>This experience is replicated in many organisations, many countries and in business areas beyond the smoking cessation category. (...)</blockquote> | <blockquote>This experience is replicated in many organisations, many countries and in business areas beyond the smoking cessation category. (...)</blockquote> | ||
Line 154: | Line 142: | ||
<blockquote>(...)</blockquote> | <blockquote>(...)</blockquote> | ||
− | <blockquote>ASH has a small shareholding in GSK and I will be attending with others to question you and the Chairman on this situation.... More than anything, I would like to resume normal and constructive relations with GlaxoSmithKline....</blockquote> | + | <blockquote>ASH has a small shareholding in GSK and I will be attending with others to question you and the Chairman on this situation. (...) More than anything, I would like to resume normal and constructive relations with GlaxoSmithKline. (...)</blockquote> |
− | |||
− | |||
− | + | Some examples of financial conflicts of interest between the anti-tobacco industry and Big Pharma: | |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | Some examples of financial conflicts of interest between the | ||
*:[http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=6499c88d-2dba-406b-8efa-7bef9e45d1af Drug companies among biggest funders of stop-smoking charities] | *:[http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=6499c88d-2dba-406b-8efa-7bef9e45d1af Drug companies among biggest funders of stop-smoking charities] | ||
Line 177: | Line 155: | ||
*:[http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2010/10/guidelines-for-determining-eligibility.html FDA Guidelines for Determining Eligibility for Advisory Committees are Ridiculous and Ensure that Conflicts of Interest Will Continue to Plague Agency ] | *:[http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2010/10/guidelines-for-determining-eligibility.html FDA Guidelines for Determining Eligibility for Advisory Committees are Ridiculous and Ensure that Conflicts of Interest Will Continue to Plague Agency ] | ||
− | |||
− | |||
*:[http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2007/02/wall-street-journal-article-highlights.html Wall Street Journal Article Highlights Financial Conflicts of Interest of Chair of Federal Smoking Cessation Guidelines Panel ] | *:[http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2007/02/wall-street-journal-article-highlights.html Wall Street Journal Article Highlights Financial Conflicts of Interest of Chair of Federal Smoking Cessation Guidelines Panel ] | ||
Line 185: | Line 161: | ||
*: [http://www.pfizer.ca/en/advancing_medicine/partnerships/download/22 What is the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation?] | *: [http://www.pfizer.ca/en/advancing_medicine/partnerships/download/22 What is the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation?] | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
== Governments are senior partners of the tobacco industry == | == Governments are senior partners of the tobacco industry == | ||
− | In some countries, taxes, qualified by many as regressive because they mostly affect the poor, amount to over 75% of the retail price of cigarettes. While these taxes and the ''hidden taxes'' from the Master Settlement Agreement (US) were supposed to help pay for the alleged additional health care costs of smoking, and to educate individuals, particularly children, on the health hazards of smoking, they are mostly used for other purposes such | + | In some countries, taxes, qualified by many as regressive because they mostly affect the poor, amount to over 75% of the retail price of cigarettes. While these taxes and the ''hidden taxes'' from the Master Settlement Agreement (US) were supposed to help pay for the alleged additional health care costs of smoking, and to educate individuals, particularly children, on the health hazards of smoking, they are mostly used for other purposes such infrastructure, social programs, education and general state funding. Of course the anti-tobacco organizations also get generous pieces of the money pie that help sustain their careers. But as governments are increasingly struggling to balance budgets, they are now slashing the anti-tobacco funding and anti-smoking lobbyists squeal like stuck pigs each time their public trough gets smaller. [http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/press_releases/post/2011_11_30_state_report] [http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/956467/big-tobacco-big-winner-as-harper-government-decimates-federal-tobacco-control-strategy] [http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2811%2961855-2/fulltext?rss=yes] |
− | |||
− | Additionally, pushed by greedy tobacco | + | Additionally, pushed by greedy anti-tobacco lobbyists, governments such as the provincial ones in Canada, are salivating at the prospect of striking gold like their southern neighbors did through the MSA and are now taking legal actions against the tobacco industry to seek damages for the costs of treating smoking-related illnesses. [http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/06/08/quebec-government-files-suit-against-tobacco-manufacturers.html]. If a couple of Canadian provinces are successful, expect a global pandemic of government law suits against the tobacco industry one or more countries at a time. |
− | |||
− |