The Tobacco Industry’s Renewed Assault on Science

Theoretical Background and research questions/hypothesis: Corporate deception in public health is nothing new. Among the worst offenders is the tobacco industry, who knowingly hid the truth about the impact of cigarette smoking for decades. Tobacco industry executives spun a narrative of doubt around the health risks of smoking, donated to politicians who would oppose greater regulations, and funded research designed to undercut objective scientific findings to protect profits. Unfortunately, history has begun to repeat itself.

Methods: This editorial published in AJPH catalogs public, published incidents providing growing evidence that the tobacco industry is once again infiltrating scientific spaces, presenting a direct threat to the vital work of unbiased tobacco control scientists, and mounting a campaign that positions itself as an advocate for public health.

Results: Today’s tobacco industry is proudly publishing in top academic journals and is increasingly claiming a cynical desire to be part of the “end” of smoking. Organizations like the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW), founded in 2017 and funded by Philip Morris International, publish articles in established journals, including the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and Drugs and Alcohol Today, by evading conflict-of-interest documentation and policies or by obscuring their role in funding. JUUL sponsored an entire special issue of the American Journal of Health Behavior to showcase its industry-funded research. Respected outlets like the American Journal of Public Health have even invited tobacco industry- funded authors to contribute to special editions of their journal. Other popular tactics include “advertorials” designed to look like independently- verified op-eds in which industry spokespeople can claim their products offer reduced harm. Recent media appearances by Philip Morris International’s former and current CEOs on CNBC and Bloomberg and in the Harvard Business Review as well as paid media placements in the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post have given Philip Morris International platforms to stake claims of harm reduction to improve public health while continuing to sell deadly products. The tobacco industry is even sponsoring policy conferences on tobacco harm reduction and inviting scientists in an effort to further their agenda and gain legitimacy.

Conclusions: By participating in legitimate scientific activities, the tobacco industry gains the imprimatur of integrity—a veil that is increasingly being taken at face value. These efforts can all serve to shift public perceptions of the tobacco industry, subtly directing the general public into believing the industry’s pretense that it can be part of the public health solution to end smoking. This may be particularly true among America’s youth or those who have simply forgotten the industry’s egregious reputation and their ongoing unethical practices.

Implications for research and/or practice: The tobacco industry’s actions at face value are disconcerting; when considered alongside their efforts to leverage tobacco misinformation on the social media platforms and screens most popular with young people, one can immediately see the risk posed to a generation naïve of their tactics.