This page contains materials on the latest development on COVID-19 and tobacco industry interference gathered from various organizations and sources in addition to materials developed by GGTC.

GGTC RESOURCE

The Role of the WHO FCTC in COVID-19 Responses

November, 2020 Executive Summary Tobacco use carries risk of COVID-19 transmission and leads to worse health outcomes for COVID-19 patients. COVID-19 also endangers those with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) for which smoking is a major risk [...]

Tax Relaxation during COVID-19

Country Tobacco Entity/ Organization Seeking Tax Reprieve Amount/ Period Sought Government Agency Called on News Article Date Source Indonesia The Indonesian Cigarette Manufacturers Association (GAPPRI) “The GAPPRI Association hopes that in 2021 there will be [...]

Tobacco Industry Accountability and Liability in the Time of COVID-19 (2020)

The tobacco industry must be held to account for health care costs, compensation to victims, corruption, illicit trade, environmental damage, food insecurity, human rights violations, and more. Frequently Asked Questions Summary The tobacco industry must [...]

Pushback: Statements and Actions to Counter Tobacco Industry Tactics

  A. Countering Tobacco in the News While TII intensifies during COVID-19, various organizations have pushed back with strong statements condemning the behavior of the tobacco industry and those furthering its interests; or calling for [...]

The Role of the WHO FCTC in COVID-19 Responses (2020)

Executive Summary Tobacco use carries risk of COVID-19 transmission and leads to worse health outcomes for COVID-19 patients. COVID-19 also endangers those with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) for which smoking is a major risk factor. Life-saving [...]

Letter to the Delegates of the 73rd World Health Assembly (2020)

15 May 2020Delegates of the 73rd World Health AssemblyUnited Nations HeadquartersGeneva, Switzerland To the Distinguished Delegates of the Seventy-third World Health Assembly: On behalf of civil societies working in tobacco control, we express our highest regard [...]

Illicit Trade in Tobacco during COVID-19

Media coverages of illicit trade in tobacco products are typically generated from industry or government sources. A majority of cigarette illicit trade studies are linked to the tobacco industry. A recent UK study shows how [...]

An Open Letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations (2020)

April 30, 2020 Secretary General António Guterres UNITED NATIONS New York, NY 10027 Dear Secretary General Guterres: The tobacco control community stands with you in your commitment to overcome the challenges of COVID-19 towards “a [...]

COVID-19 and Tobacco Industry Interference (2020)

  I. Background On February 14, 2020, the head of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme posited that smoking is a risk factor for the severity of any lower respiratory tract infection, and that the same [...]

NEWS

Questions raised over speech by vaccine taskforce chair to investors

November 2, 2020 Express Standard MPs have called for explanations after it emerged that the head of the Government’s vaccine taskforce might have revealed potentially sensitive information to conference attendees last week. Angela Rayner, Labour’s [...]

Advancing in tobacco control amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

September 18, 2020 WHO FCTC Despite the difficult circumstances the world is currently facing, tobacco control initiatives continue to advance. Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and to [...]

British American Tobacco Company Workers Accuses Management Of Exposing Them To COVID-19

Workers with the British American Tobacco Company Nigeria have accused its management of insensitivity-despite orders by the Federal and State Government, for private companies to reduce its work force by more than 70 percent to [...]

Big Tobacco is Exploiting COVID-19 to Market its Harmful Products

acco and e-cigarette companies are exploiting the COVID-19 crisis to market their harmful and addictive products around the world, especially on social media, according to a Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids analysis of marketing tactics by [...]

Vaping Could Compound Health Risks Tied to Virus, FDA Says

March 28, 2020 Vaping may leave users with underlying health conditions at higher risk of serious complications if they contract the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, the Food and Drug Administration said. Read [...]

Tobacco giants fume over claims they exploited COVID-19 with Romania, Greece & Ukraine donations

August 6, 2020 Two tobacco titans have hit back at allegations they are using the COVID-19 health crisis to improve their public image and win access to politicians. Philip Morris International subsidiary, Papastratos, gave 50 [...]

Tobacco giants fume over claims they exploited COVID-19 with Romania, Greece & Ukraine donations

Authors: Emil Filtenborg and Stefan Weichert Two tobacco titans have hit back at allegations they are using the COVID-19 health crisis to improve their public image and win access to politicians. Philip Morris International subsidiary, [...]

Tobacco industry lobbies Bangladesh Government Agency to champion its business during COVID-19 pandemic

July 3, 2020 Bangladesh has seen an unprecedented level of tobacco industry interference during the COVID-19 crisis. The tobacco industry in Bangladesh, dominated by two transnational tobacco companies, British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) and Japan [...]

Jordan bans smoking and vaping in indoor public spaces

July 2, 2020 The Jordanian government has banned smoking and vaping in all indoor public spaces a week after a Guardian investigation revealed tobacco use in the country had become the highest in the world. The [...]

COVID-19 and Big Tobacco PR machine

June 28, 2020 After the initial hype about developing vaccines to tackle coronavirus (COVID-19), which received instant backlash from public health experts, the tobacco industry has been largely silent on that subject. Read more: The Niche [...]

COVID-19 and beyond: banning tobacco and e-cigarettes in public places is a public health must

There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke Following the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, 15 countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region took a bold decision to ban waterpipe use [...]

Corona Effect, Delays in Payment of Excise on Cigarettes through IDR 830 Billion

The Director General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) has approved the submission of the relaxation of tobacco product excise payments worth Rp830 billion until April 19, 2020. Read more: DDTC News [...]

Health Ministry for halting production, sale of tobacco products

May 20, 2020 The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday urged the authorities concerned to suspend production, supply, marketing, and sale of all kinds of tobacco products in Bangladesh to help fight against [...]

Covid-19 crisis sparks new call in Scotland for tobacco levy

May 3, 2020 Scotland’s leading anti-smoking charity is backing calls for a minimum unit price (MUP) on tobacco after scientists said “now is the time” to tackle the largest preventable cause of chronic disease. Read [...]

Suggestion that smoking protects from COVID-19 may be dangerous to public health

May 11, 2020 A new pandemic generates anxiety and confusion and drives people to seek remedies that may have little scientific evidence of efficacy. Based upon a flawed interpretation of preliminary COVID-19 data, the hypothesis [...]

Exit strategy: we can do it for COVID-19, why not tobacco?

May 18, 2020 COVID-19 was first identified in December 2019 and declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Australia is now seen as a world leader in taking action based on public [...]

Tobacco Control and Human Rights Before, During, and After COVID-19

May 15, 2020 The global COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant disruption and trauma, and with it a rise in threats to human rights. UN Secretary-General Guterres remarked on April 23rd, 2020 that the pandemic was “fast [...]

WHO statement: Tobacco use and COVID-19

May 11, 2020 Tobacco kills more than 8 million people globally every year. More than 7 million of these deaths are from direct tobacco use and around 1.2 million are due to non-smokers being exposed [...]

COVID-19: For the tobacco industry, it’s all about profit

May 11, 2020 In times of crisis some corporations profit while others break. For the tobacco industry the COVID-19 pandemic which has shut down many nations and crippled the global economy seems “a make or [...]

Can vaping make coronavirus infections more severe? 3 doctors weigh in

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the globe, scientists are looking into any factors that may exacerbate the spread of the virus and the illness it causes. We know that the immunocompromised and the elderly are at higher risk, [...]

The two faces of the tobacco industry during the COVID-19 pandemic

May 10, 2020 Since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020, the world’s major tobacco companies have geared their CSR efforts to present themselves as allies of public health [...]

Tobacco industry targeting vulnerable communities in times of Covid-19 pandemic

May 7, 2020 Tobacco industry is actively involved in promoting and spreading false information through researches the benefits of nicotine patches that is a product of tobacco and smoking as a weapon that protects from [...]

Q&A on smoking and COVID-19

May 7, 2020 Are smokers and tobacco users at higher risk of COVID-19 infection? Smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 as the act of smoking means that fingers (and possibly contaminated cigarettes) [...]

Philip Morris Money Is Funding Pro-Vaping Virus Spin

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pointed a finger at the vaping industry last month as he discussed a 22-year-old New Yorker who’d been hospitalized with Covid-19. “We do think the fact that he [...]

Tobacco, vaping industries seize opportunities in coronavirus with freebies, donations

Running low on surgical masks during the pandemic? You can get two for free by ordering a Moti Piin, a battery-powered vaping pen, from the company’s online shop. Or buy sleek cartridges from Smok, another [...]

The tobacco industry is trying to get cigarettes classified as an ‘essential’ item during lockdown

Without a puff of irony, British American Tobacco announced earlier this month it was making making progress in its research towards developing a vaccine for Covid-19. If successful, this move might well save the lives of many of their customers [...]

False Friends: tobacco industry during Corona crisis

In the Coronavirus pandemic, the tobacco industry presents itself as the saviour in the crisis. A transparent diversionary tactic, since it has been fighting the public good for decades and ruining the health of countless [...]

South Africa: U.S.$1,500 ‘Bribe’ Offered As More Cigarettes Seized During COVID-19 Lockdown

May 3, 2020 Three people have been arrested in Lenasia, Johannesburg, in spite of allegedly offering a whopping R30 000 to get out of being caught selling cigarettes during the coronavirus lockdown. Gauteng Community Safety [...]

South Africa: U.S.$1,500 ‘Bribe’ Offered As More Cigarettes Seized During COVID-19 Lockdown

May 3, 2020 Three people have been arrested in Lenasia, Johannesburg, in spite of allegedly offering a whopping R30 000 to get out of being caught selling cigarettes during the coronavirus lockdown. Read more: allAfrica [...]

BAT threatens Dlamini-Zuma with law suit over tobacco ban

May 1, 2020 British American Tobacco South Africa has demanded that Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma amend regulations prohibiting the sale of tobacco products by Monday. If the regulations are not rescinded, [...]

Sampoerna factory closes after two COVID-19 deaths, authorities race to trace contacts

April 30, 2020 Tobacco giant HM Sampoerna’s factory in Rungkut district of Surabaya, East Java, has temporarily shut down following reports that two of its workers had died of COVID-19 and dozens of other workers had tested positive [...]

NCTC, health groups urge Jokowi to ban smoking in COVID-19 ‘high-risk areas’

April 29, 2020 The National Commission on Tobacco Control (NCTC) has urged President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to enhance COVID-19 mitigation efforts by banning tobacco cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, especially in “high-risk areas”. Read more: The Jakarta Post [...]

From a potential vaccine to millionaire donations: The active role of tobacco companies in times of coronavirus

April 27, 2020 Philip Morris International committed more than US $ 24 million to support actions against the pandemic, financing NGOs. A British American Tobacco subsidiary, meanwhile, is in the clinical testing stage of a possible [...]

‘Corona-washing’: How the tobacco industry is advancing its interests in the midst of the pandemic

Tobacco companies are using familiar tactics to maintain profitability and create a positive image during the pandemic. Cigarettes are not considered to be essential consumer goods in most countries and therefore are not included in [...]

Coronavirus and tobacco industry duplicity

April 20, 2020 Lately, tobacco corporations have been getting special mention in the news just like they have always wanted. They crave the publicity. From donations to governments, unverified claims of new vaccines and proposals [...]

Will Indonesia mitigate COVID-19 by enforcing stronger tobacco control

April 20, 2020 President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, has been sent an appeal to urgently strengthen the response to corona virus disease in the country, by stronger enforcement of comprehensive and evidence-based tobacco control measures, which includes [...]

Philip Morris Money Is Funding Pro-Vaping Virus Spin

April 17, 2020 New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pointed a finger at the vaping industry last month as he discussed a 22-year-old New Yorker who’d been hospitalized with Covid-19. “We do think the [...]

‘Corona-washing’: How the tobacco industry is advancing its interests in the midst of the pandemic

April 17, 2020 Cigarettes are not considered to be essential consumer goods in most countries and therefore are not included in national planning to ensure supply to the general public. As many small shops selling [...]

Petition to the COVID-19 National Task-force: Government has a Duty to Protect Public Health Laws and Policies from Commercial and Other Vested Interests of the Tobacco Industry

April 15, 2020 Government has a duty to protect public health laws and policies from commercial and other vested interests of the Tobacco industry We, the Uganda National Health Users’/Consumers’ Organization call upon the COVID-19 [...]

Be wary of working with Big Tobacco, says WHO

April 13, 2020 The World Health Organisation has warned governments about engaging with the tobacco industry over the development of coronavirus vaccines. Read more: The Times [...]

Coronavirus risks send out yet another reminder to smokers: quit now

April 9, 2020 “I have argued before about the dangers posed by Covid-19 to smokers, and a huge amount of data now confirms my view – bodies like the World Health Organisation, the World Bank, [...]

COVID-19: Telangana bans spitting of paan, tobacco products, chewing gums in public places

April 9, 2020 The State government issued a GO on Wednesday, banning spitting of paan, any chewable tobacco or non-tobacco products or sputum in public places and Institutions as such a practice may lead to [...]

COVID-19 lockdown: The Kwara example

April 7, 2020 As at the time of filing this report, Kwara state had not recorded any Corona Virus victim because the state government was on top of the situation. Writes UMAR BAYO ABDULWAHAB.  Kwara [...]

20 anti-tobacco organizations demand ban on tobacco goods manufacturing, sale

April 7, 2020 Describing Tobacco goods exacerbate COVID-19 infection and are not essential commodity, 20 anti-tobacco organizations demanded  withdrawal of a directive of the Industries Ministry to continue sale and manufacturing of cigarettes. Read more: United News of [...]

NYSAFP: Ban Tobacco/Vaping Products During COVID-19 Pandemic

April 7, 2020 When Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s so-called New York State on PAUSE Executive Order(coronavirus.health.ny.gov) went into effect March 22, New York ranked as the state hardest hit by COVID-19, with more than 20,000 people testing positive [...]

Increased taxes on tobacco items will generate funds to combat diseases like coronavirus

April 3, 2020 Karachi: Pakistan is amongst the developing countries with a very high tobacco prevalence and high mortality rate, where above 166,000 people die of tobacco-related diseases every year in Pakistan. 70 per cent [...]

Russian smokers facing COLD TURKEY withdrawal as tobacco deemed non-essential item in Covid-19 crisis

April 3, 2020 As coronavirus attacks the respiratory systems of people all around the world, perhaps there will be one less thing destroying the lungs of Russians – cigarettes. With the designation of tobacco as [...]

Pakistan’s tobacco epidemic leaves it in no state to fight the coronavirus

March 31, 2020 A sombre Imran Khan addressed the nation on March 18th, lamenting that Pakistan’s poor economic state means the country cannot respond to the coronavirus crisis with the type of life-saving lockdown countries [...]

Smoking effectively banned in public in the Czech Republic, as masks cannot be removed for that purpose

March 26, 2020 There is no exception for smoking to the rule for wearing a mask covering the mouth and nose anywhere outside the home in the Czech Republic. People smoking without a mask in [...]

Smokers more likely to contract coronavirus, caution health experts

March 19, 2020 In the light of the current global pandemic of Coronavirus, smokers are at high risk of getting infected and due to the weak immune system and other respiratory issues faced by smokers, [...]

JOURNAL

Sex Difference and Smoking Predisposition in Patients with COVID-19 (2020)

Author: Hua Cai The outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is quickly turning into a pandemic. Although the disease is now better contained in China, 32 702 cases remain as of March 2, 2020. 10 566 [...]

The Tobacco Industry in the Time of COVID-19: Time to Shut it Down? (2020)

Authors: Marita Hefler and Coral E Gartner The COVID-19 pandemic which originated in China in late 2019 has spread rapidly and taken much of the world by surprise, creating a health and economic emergency likely [...]

Covid-19: The Role of Smoking Cessation During Respiratory Virus Epidemics (2020)

Author: David Simons, Olga Perski, and Jamie Brown The growing epidemic of the respiratory virus covid-19 has been accompanied by public health messages focusing on how to best reduce the spread of the causative agent, [...]

COVID-19 and Smoking: A Systematic Review of the Evidence (2020)

Authors: Constantine I. Vardavas and  Katerina Nikitara COVID-19 is a coronavirus outbreak that initially appeared in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019, but it has already evolved into a pandemic spreading rapidly worldwide. As of [...]

Analysis of Factors Associated With Disease Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients With 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (2020)

Authors: Wei Liu et al. Abstract Background: Since early December 2019, the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused pneumonia epidemic in Wuhan, Hubei province of China. This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the [...]

Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China (2020)

Authors: Wei-jie Guan et al. Background: Since December 2019, when coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) emerged in Wuhan city and rapidly spread throughout China, data have been needed on the clinical characteristics of the affected patients. [...]