Big Tobacco’s unhealthy influence on health policy

This video says about itself:

This France-Canada co-production goes behind the scenes of the huge tobacco industry, whose economic power has been expanding for five decades at the expense of public health. A gripping investigation covering three continents, Nadia Collot’s film exposes the vast conspiracy of a criminally negligent industry that conquers new markets through corruption and manipulation. To confront the tobacco cartel, anti-smoking groups are organizing and scoring points, but the fight remains fierce. With its diverse viewpoints, shocking interviews and riveting images, The Tobacco Conspiracy deftly defines the issues in a complex situation where private interests and the public good collide. Enlightening and engrossing, this documentary is a hard-hitting critique of an industry gone mad.

Director: Nadia Collot
Genre: Documentary
Year of Production: 2006
Kuiv Production

Translated from Dutch NOS TV today:

The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) is resigning from committees that issue international advice on measuring the amount of tar and nicotine in cigarettes. According to the RIVM, the influence of the tobacco industry in the committees is too big, which as a result of there is too little emphasis on the protection of public health.

These are working groups of Dutch, European Union and international committees dealing with tobacco and e-cigarettes. In addition to the RIVM and the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), eight delegates from the tobacco industry also attend the working groups. …

The RIVM points out that the World Health Organization (WHO) has established that “the interests of the tobacco industry are not compatible with those of public health”. Another reason to get out of the committees is a new method for examining the content and emissions of cigarettes. This method was developed by the WHO, independent of industry.

Related articles

• Watchdogs Reveal Chamber of Commerce ‘Blowing Smoke’ for Big Tobacco
• Zika and poverty in Puerto Rico and Florida
• Experts question the evidence underpinning e-cigarette recommendations
• The Public Health Impact of Domestic Violence