Groups across 4 continents demand governments hold tobacco corporations liable for harming people and the planet.
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People around the world are joining forces to hold the tobacco industry accountable for its abuses. During the Global Week of Action to Make Big Tobacco Pay, civil society organizations in at least six countries will be calling on their governments to recoup the health care and environmental costs that are caused by the tobacco industry each year.
“No matter where we live or what we look like, everyone deserves to lead a healthy life. But the tobacco industry sells dangerous and deadly products at huge profits. Meanwhile, we all pay — with our lives, our taxes, and our environment,” said Daniel Dorado, tobacco campaign director at Corporate Accountability and organizer of the Make Big Tobacco Pay coalition (and a winner of this year’s prestigious World No Tobacco Day Award).
Many people know that tobacco use kills approximately 8 million people each year and is a risk factor for many life-altering diseases including heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes.
But few people realize that the tobacco industry also costs society over USD $1.4 trillion every year to treat these preventable diseases and to clean up the industry’s toxic pollution. Cigarette butts, which are made of plastic, are the most littered item in the world; e-cigarette waste continues to grow; and both products leach toxic chemicals into our water and soil.
Meanwhile, tobacco corporations bring in nearly USD $1 trillion in revenue from addicting people to products they know are dangerous and deadly. That’s more than Google, Meta, and Apple combined.
“Tobacco corporations cheat us financially — whether we use their products or not. The industry can only be profitable because it has foisted the costs of its business onto the people and our governments,” said Jaime Arcila, senior researcher at Corporate Accountability.
“Fortunately, we have a powerful tool to make Big Tobacco pay for its harms: the global tobacco treaty,” he added.
183 nations worldwide have ratified the legally-binding World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). Signatories are committed to holding the tobacco industry legally and financially liable for its harms (Article 19) and preventing industry interference in health policy-making (Article 5.3).
Advocates emphasized that Article 19 provides many ways to achieve liability beyond large-scale litigation, as many countries lack judicial systems that are adequate to hold transnational corporations liable.
During the Week of Action, advocates will be calling on their governments to advance liability measures at both the national and international level. The week kicks off with an online launch on June 1 followed by in-person and virtual actions in Mexico, Brazil, the United States, the Philippines, Nigeria, and Ghana. Partner organizations are also circulating a petition to Make Big Tobacco Pay, which already has nearly 40,000 signatures worldwide.
Corporate Accountability also announced the creation of the Yul Dorado Make Big Tobacco Pay Award to recognize visionary leadership in advancing health justice and tobacco industry accountability. Beginning next year, the award will honor outstanding efforts by governments, civil society, and advocates who are helping advance the global movement to make Big Tobacco pay for the harms it causes.
More information on the Global Week of Action can be found here. A recording of the June 1st kick-off and media briefing is here.
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Make Big Tobacco Pay is a campaign led by Corporate Accountability, in coalition with civil society and NGO groups from around the world, including:
Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT)
Citizen News Service (CNS)
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC)
European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP)
Coalición América Saludable (CLAS)
InterAmerican Heart Foundation (IAHF)
ACT Promoção da Saúde (ACT)
Salud Justa Mx
Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA)
HealthJustice
African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA)
Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development (VAST)
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA)
Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (GATC)
For more information and interviews, contact Renée Slajda at [email protected].
Additional Quotes
“We need to make Big Tobacco pay through any and all means necessary – litigation, regulation, sanctions, and anything else we can do to build a healthier community where people come first.” – Akinbode Oluwafemi, Corporate Accountability & Public Participation Africa (CAPPA)
“If we only clean downstream, the industry gets profit and communities get all the pollution, clean-up costs, and health harms. This is not an accident; it’s a business model – one that privatizes the profits and socializes the harm.” – Willow Najjar Anderson, Public Health Law Center
“Finding the tobacco industry at fault means very little if the penalties amount to peanuts compared to the scale of harms caused. Our goal should always be clear: that we want to make the tobacco industry pay for the full costs of its products, both on health and the environment. We shouldn’t stop at exposing the industry’s wrongdoing; we must make sure there is compensation and remediation.” – Debby Sy, Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC)
“We’ve made a lot of progress on liability at the last two global tobacco treaty meetings (COPs) and this Global Week of Action is so important in keeping the momentum going before the next one.” – Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
“80% of tobacco-related deaths are in low-and middle-income countries, which I think is a call for Ghana and other African nations to take the lead in changing this trajectory. Of course, this can only happen if we can get our governments to hold the tobacco industry accountable. We’ve made a lot of progress, but still need to keep pushing.” – Labram Musah, Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development (VAST Ghana)
“There are many ways to hold the tobacco industry accountable. Through the International Legal Consortium and its global legal database, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has supported litigation efforts around the world and helped expand access to legal tools and expertise. Environmental law is one of the most promising emerging avenues, offering new opportunities to seek accountability and make Big Tobacco pay for the harms it has caused.” – Patricia Sosa, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
“The Brazilian government is trying to implement the FCTC Article 19 through a lawsuit against the two largest cigarette manufacturers in the country and in the world and their national partners. This action was proposed in 2019 by the Attorney General’s Office and it aims to reimburse the public health system for the expenses of the treatment of 27 diseases related to smoking. It’s a very important lawsuit not only for us in Brazil, but for the world – as the final decision will positively or negatively impact other countries.” – Mariana Pinho, ACT Promoção da Saúde (ACT)
“For the Week of Action, we will present legal actions, civil and administrative, to force regulatory bodies to act and claim compensation for the damages caused by the tobacco industry. Along with the youth advocacy organization SERAJ, we will file at least three complaints to prevent nicotine products from being advertised and sold without information to consumers. – Erick Antonio Ochoa, Salud Justa Mx
“Like countries around the world. the Philippines is grappling with how to regulate tobacco promotion in digital spaces that move faster than legislation and often transcend national borders. As traditional advertising becomes more restricted, the industry is shifting its investments. To keep up, we must hold the industry accountable” – Ralph Degollacion, HealthJustice
“Article 19 is no longer just a concept reserved for massive, decades long lawsuits. We’re showing that administrative actions, enforcement, and immediate regulatory penalties are highly effective and rapid response mechanisms.” – Irene Reyes, Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA)
