Influencing decision makers - model of interference of the tobacco industry in Brazil

• Main Authors: Danielle Silva, Alex Medeiros, Silvana Turci, Daniel Carvalho
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: European Publishing 2018-03-01
• Series: Tobacco Induced Diseases
• Subjects: WCTOH
• Online Access: http://www.journalssystem.com/tid/Influencing-decision-makers-model-of-interference-of-the-tobacco-industry-in-Brazil,84209,0,2.html

Background To monitor the strategies of the tobacco industry against public tobacco control policies in Brazil. Methods Documentary research with survey of documents available at the Observatory on Tobacco Industry Strategies, in Brazil, of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation of Brazil's Ministry of Health. Documents refering to tobacco industry's financing to brazilian parlamentarians in 2014 elections campains were collected. The documents were analyzed based on the strategy Influencing Decision Makers, described in the WHO document entitled Tobacco Industry Interference with Tobacco Control. Results 88 documents were found. The analysis showed that of 35 political parties existing in Brazil, the tobacco industry financed 13 of several ideological segments. Of the parliamentarians contemplated, 88 are pro-tobacco, being that 79 of them received funding from the tobacco industry for election campaigns and have been opposing smoking control policies, preventing or hindering the progress of the guidelines. The value declared by the industry was R$ 2,337,892.20. Conclusions In Brazil there is industry interference in the government, which culminated in the creation of the Chamber of the Tobacco Production Chain, linked to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, contributing to the strengthening of tobacco industries, promotion of their products and Politicians who have declared themselves against bills that address the following issues: prohibition of cigarette advertising, additives that confer flavor and aroma, standardization of cigarette packaging and traffic violation of smoking in vehicles with passengers under eighteen years of age, amongst other measures. Unfortunately, the number of politicians who prevent the advance of public health in the fight against smoking is greater, which demonstrates how influential the tobacco industry is to make its interests prevail by strengthening an apparatus permeated by instruments and agents capable of erecting a real institutional blockade structure that works in favor of the companies in fields of political, economic and social action.