Tobacco-funded group TRACIT tries to influence tobacco control policy

A new report from Adiariocr.com exposes industry lobbying to frustrate action on cigarette smuggling in Latin America.

According to the news site, the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT), an organisation of which Philip Morris International (PMI) is a partner, has been attempting to interfere in the design of public policies in Costa Rica and other countries by requesting the strengthening of the Joint Commission Against Illicit Trade or by opposing legislation that seeks to regulate cigarette smuggling.

As Dr Allen Gallagher from the Tobacco Control Research Group points out: “In addition to its attempts to influence the Costa Rican Government, TRACIT has fueled industry-friendly policy changes throughout Latin America, in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. A global organization like TRACIT, funded by the tobacco industry requires global awareness and action to protect public health.”

You can read the full story here.