CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
An e-book on industry tactics: preliminary results about readers’ opinions and awareness
 
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1
Department of Public Health, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
 
2
Children's Health, Ireland
 
3
World Federation of Public Health Associations, Germany
 
4
Leibniz-Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology, Germany
 
5
Institute of Public Health of Serbia, Serbia
 
6
Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan
 
7
World Federation of Public Health Associations, Finland
 
8
Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
 
 
Publication date: 2023-04-25
 
 
Corresponding author
Maria Sofia Cattaruzza   

Department of Public Health, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
 
 
Tob. Prev. Cessation 2023;9(Supplement):A23
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
For decades, tobacco companies have undermined tobacco control measures. The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) Tobacco Control Group created an e-book outlining 7 key-tactics (Advertising, Front groups, Manipulating the media, Funding scientific research, Political lobbying, Electronic alternatives as “harm reduction”, and Legal challenges) used by the industry to influence public and political opinion1. Objective of the study was to raise awareness on the topic. Methods: E-book key-tactics were researched, written and revised by group members from public health backgrounds. The e-book was distributed through member networks and published on the WFPHA website and social media. Readers were asked to answer questions designed in consultation with tobacco control experts using a Likert scale. Results: 251 readers (mainly university students) answered the survey from 21 countries and various health and public health disciplines. 95.2% would recommend the e-book to a colleague (46.2% ‘very likely’, 49% ‘likely’) and 87.2% stated it improved their understanding of tobacco industry tactics. Readers agreed or strongly agreed that: electronic alternatives should be regulated as strictly as cigarettes (76.9%); governments should sue tobacco companies for healthcare costs (64.9%); political donations by tobacco companies should be banned (56.2%). Readers disagreed or strongly disagreed that: retailers should be allowed to accept payments from tobacco companies to incentivise product sales (58.6%); tobacco companies do not influence politicians in their country (58.6%); there is adequate teaching about tobacco industry interference in training of healthcare professionals (53.0%). Main conclusions: Readers of the e-book said it improved their understanding of tobacco industry tactics from a wide range of backgrounds, with high rates of recommendation. E-books are an innovative way to disseminate knowledge especially among young people.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
 
REFERENCES (1)
1.
BIG TOBACCO’S DIRTY TRICKS: A CASEBOOK. World Federation of Public Health Associations. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.wfpha.org/big-toba...
 
eISSN:2459-3087
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