Tobacco use is distinguished from other health problems by the presence of an aggressive, multinational tobacco industry whose institutional goals are incompatible with those of public health. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are an important and under-recognized means by which the tobacco industry seeks to thwart public health and create a tobacco-favorable policy environment in the US and globally. By engaging in responsible activities (such as establishing youth smoking prevention programs, and contributing to worthy causes), the tobacco industry enhances its image and counters negative publicity, frames the tobacco problem as one of responsible consumption and marketing, and provides policymakers with reasons to engage with the industry. The almost unlimited financial resources and ability of multinational tobacco companies to undermine public health efforts through CSR constitutes one of the greatest obstacles to stemming the tobacco epidemic, particularly in low and middle income countries. This application continues and extends our current research to address both US and African tobacco industry CSR initiatives and media responses to them, and to analyze their tobacco control implications.
The specific aims are:
Specific aim #1 : Investigate tobacco industry CSR initiatives in the US and selected African countries and their implications for the industry's ability to maintain a tobacco-favorable social and regulatory environment by a) retrieving and analyzing tobacco industry documents related to US and African CSR initiatives; and b) retrieving and analyzing CSR-related information on tobacco company websites;
Specific aim #2 : Examine media coverage of tobacco industry CSR initiatives in the US and Africa to determine the extent, content, and framing of coverage of such initiatives and the implications for tobacco control. This project will directly aid tobacco control efforts by exposing the underlying partnerships, tactics, and motivations guiding tobacco industry CSR activities, helping public health practitioners and policymakers more effectively counter them and insulate tobacco control policymaking from tobacco industry influences.

Public Health Relevance

Globally, tobacco is the second major cause of death, killing nearly 6 million people in 2011. Tobacco industry CSR initiatives impede tobacco control policy progress. Greater knowledge of these initiatives will guide the development of more informed and effective tobacco control responses in the US and Africa, helping to reduce tobacco use and its associated burden of disease and death.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
4R01CA120138-09
Application #
9091434
Study Section
Community Influences on Health Behavior (CIHB)
Project Start
2006-05-30
Project End
2017-07-31
Budget Start
2016-08-01
Budget End
2017-07-31
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
2016
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California San Francisco
Department
Other Health Professions
Type
Schools of Nursing
DUNS #
094878337
City
San Francisco
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94118
McDaniel, Patricia A; Lown, E Anne; Malone, Ruth E (2018) US Media Coverage of Tobacco Industry Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives. J Community Health 43:117-127
McDaniel, Patricia A; Cadman, Brie; Malone, Ruth E (2018) African media coverage of tobacco industry corporate social responsibility initiatives. Glob Public Health 13:129-143
van der Eijk, Yvette; McDaniel, Patricia A; Glantz, Stanton A et al. (2018) United Nations Global Compact: an 'Inroad' into the UN and reputation boost for the tobacco industry. Tob Control 27:e66-e69
McDaniel, Patricia A; Lown, E Anne; Malone, Ruth E (2017) ""It doesn't seem to make sense for a company that sells cigarettes to help smokers stop using them"": A case study of Philip Morris's involvement in smoking cessation. PLoS One 12:e0183961
Smith, Elizabeth A; McDaniel, Patricia A (2016) ""The Policy Dystopia Model"": Implications for Health Advocates and Democratic Governance. PLoS Med 13:e1002126
McDaniel, Patricia A; Cadman, Brie; Malone, Ruth E (2016) Shared vision, shared vulnerability: A content analysis of corporate social responsibility information on tobacco industry websites. Prev Med 89:337-344
Lown, E Anne; McDaniel, Patricia A; Malone, Ruth E (2016) Tobacco is ""our industry and we must support it"": Exploring the potential implications of Zimbabwe's accession to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Global Health 12:2
McDaniel, Patricia A; Malone, Ruth E (2015) ""What Is Our Story?"" Philip Morris's Changing Corporate Narrative. Am J Public Health 105:e68-75
McDaniel, Patricia A; Malone, Ruth E (2012) ""The Big WHY"": Philip Morris's failed search for corporate social value. Am J Public Health 102:1942-50
Yang, Joshua S; McDaniel, Patricia A; Malone, Ruth E (2012) 'A question of balance': addressing the public health impacts of multinational enterprises in the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. Glob Public Health 7:1045-61

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