This scientific article examines how tobacco and nicotine industry interference is monitored across Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Iceland and Slovenia. Conducted within JA PreventNCD, the study considers how countries are implementing Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which requires public health policies to be protected from tobacco industry influence.
The researchers assessed national monitoring and information-exchange practices through a questionnaire completed by partner organisations in the five countries. They also reviewed publicly available examples of industry interference between 2019 and 2024, categorising tactics such as lobbying, misleading research and misinformation, corporate social responsibility campaigns, front groups and legal challenges.
Although all participating organisations recognised the importance of monitoring, most countries lacked dedicated protocols, responsible entities or comprehensive registries for tobacco and nicotine industry interference. The examples also show how established tactics are being adapted to exploit regulatory gaps around electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches.
The article concludes that systematic monitoring is essential for transparency, accountability and the protection of public health policymaking. It calls for stronger national capacity, closer collaboration between governments and civil society, and greater use of international benchmarking tools to identify and respond to emerging forms of industry interference.
Read the full paper in the European Journal of Public Health.