New Research Exposes How the Tobacco Industry Interferes in Policymaking, and How Advocates Across Latin America and the Caribbean are Fighting Back
Statement from Patricia Sosa, Regional Director for Latin America Programs at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
May 08, 2025
Washington, D.C. – (May 7, 2025) – A new study published in the Pan American Journal of Public Health highlights the powerful advocacy response that is gaining ground across Latin America and the Caribbean to counter the tobacco industry’s interference in the regulation of emerging tobacco and nicotine products like heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes.
This article builds on previous research, also published in the Pan American Journal of Public Health, that documented the wide range of tactics used by the tobacco industry to delay or weaken regulation. These include manipulating information, promoting misleading harm reduction claims, seeking direct access to policymakers, and even using litigation, all part of a broader strategy to undermine the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and avoid strong regulation of emerging tobacco and nicotine products.
The new study focuses on another important part of the story: the growing movement of civil society, legal experts, and public health advocates who are organizing to defend public policy, build coalitions, engage decision-makers, and mobilize the public. For example, the study highlights advocates across the region who are using social media and other communication tools to reach younger audiences, framing new and emerging tobacco and nicotine products as a gateway to conventional cigarettes, and reinforcing the importance of aligning national policies with FCTC obligations.
This growing body of research confirms what we see every day in our work: While the tobacco industry is using every tool it can to fight regulation, advocates across the region are responding with determination, collaboration, and evidence-based strategies to protect public health. Governments have a range of options for regulating the products including regulating them as medicinal products, regulating them the same as cigarettes, or banning them, and advocates in Latin America and the Caribbean are ensuring that governments prioritize this urgent issue.
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is proud to support the authors of both studies, including lead author Eric Crosbie from the University of Nevada, Reno; Ernesto Sebrié, Gianella Severini and Beatriz Albuquerque from our organization, and Luciana Severini from the Pan American Health Organization; and the advocates across the region who are pushing for stronger, evidence-based policies to protect health.