Voices of Local Advocates

This synthesis draws on six interviews with tobacco control advocates across regions. A consistent conclusion emerges: tobacco industry interference follows a similar strategic logic across contexts, but its impact depends on governance structures and institutional strength.

During 20 years of work on public health at the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region (WPRO), Dr Susan Mercado played a sustained leadership role in advancing tobacco control and implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), with particular emphasis on Article 5.3 and the protection of public policy from tobacco industry interference.

Dr. Behzad Valizadeh highlights that the tobacco industry in Iran strategically exploits the country’s economic sanctions to portray itself as a vital contributor to employment and economic productivity.

Veteran advocate Akinbode Oluwafemi exposes decades of intimidation by BAT & PMI, detailing new tactics like digital marketing & FCTC interference in Africa.

The Netherlands implements WHO FCTC Article 5.3 by protecting public health policies from the vested interests of the tobacco industry, restricting interactions to those strictly necessary for regulation, ensuring such contacts are transparent and publicly disclosed, and reinforcing these safeguards across all levels of government to advance a smoke-free generation by 2040.

Voices of Local Advocates: Defending Article 5.3 in Action (Second Issue, August 2025). Discover how local advocates are protecting public health from tobacco industry interference in the August 2025 Article 5.3 bulletin.

Voices of Local Advocates: Defending Article 5.3 in Action (First Issue, July 2025). Local advocates share strategies to protect public health from tobacco industry interference in the July 2025 Article 5.3 newsletter.