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Carlini BH, Kellum LB, Garrett SB, Nims LN. Threaten, Distract, and Discredit: Cannabis Industry Rhetoric to Defeat Regulation of High-THC Cannabis Products in Washington State. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2024; 85:322-329. [PMID: 38270913 PMCID: PMC11218453 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.23-00277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Washington State legislators have attempted to regulate high delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cannabis to reduce cannabis-related harms. Historically, industry actors of other health-compromising products have influenced governments' adoption of evidence-based regulation policies. A better understanding of the industry rhetoric can be used by public health advocates to develop counterarguments and disseminate alternative narratives that protect the public's health. We analyzed the arguments used by cannabis industry actors opposing regulations to de-incentivize the availability and use of high-THC products in Washington State. METHOD We analyzed 41 testimonies transcribed from 33 cannabis industry actors in 3 public bill hearings and one legislative work session that occurred between 2020 and 2023. Using a deductive thematic analysis, informed by industry actors' arguments opposing regulation of alcohol, tobacco, and high-sugar beverages, we developed a codebook to analyze and identify themes within cannabis industry rhetorical strategies. RESULTS We identified three main rhetorical strategies used by cannabis industry actors to oppose THC content regulation: threaten, distract, discredit. The most frequently used rhetorical strategy was threats to economic benefits, public health, and the will of the people. The other two most apparent strategies were distracting from the bill's focus by introducing a tangential topic and discrediting the science that supported regulation of cannabis products with high THC concentration or its advocates. CONCLUSIONS Cannabis industry actors have leveraged several arguments used by industry actors of other health-compromising products to undermine initiatives to advance public health. They have also adapted rhetoric from other industries to the unique conditions of the cannabis regulatory landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz H. Carlini
- Addictions, Drug, & Alcohol Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Lyndsey B. Kellum
- Addictions, Drug, & Alcohol Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Sharon B. Garrett
- Addictions, Drug, & Alcohol Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Lexi N. Nims
- Addictions, Drug, & Alcohol Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
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GÓMEZ EDUARDOJ, MAANI NASON, GALEA SANDRO. The Pitfalls of Ascribing Moral Agency to Corporations: Public Obligation and Political and Social Contexts in the Commercial Determinants of Health. Milbank Q 2024; 102:28-42. [PMID: 37880820 PMCID: PMC10938930 DOI: 10.1111/1468-0009.12678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Policy Points Government and civil society should be held more accountable for creating food and beverage regulatory policies rather than assigning moral agency to the food and beverage industry. Nutrition policymaking institutions should ensure civil society's ability to design regulatory policy. Government policymaking institutions should be isolated from industry interference.
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Garibay KK, Burke NJ, Ramírez AS, Payán DD. Examining the Role and Strategies of Advocacy Coalitions in California's Statewide Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Debate (2001-2018). Am J Health Promot 2024; 38:101-111. [PMID: 37728321 PMCID: PMC10748447 DOI: 10.1177/08901171231201007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE California's failed attempts to enact a statewide sugary beverage tax presents an opportunity to advance understanding of advocacy coalition behavior. We investigate the participation of advocacy coalitions in California's statewide sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax policy debate. DESIGN Document analysis of legislative bills and newspaper articles collected in 2019. SETTING California. METHOD A total of 11 SSB tax-related bills were introduced in California's legislature between 2001-2018 according to the state's legislative website. Data sources include legislative bill documents (n = 94) and newspaper articles (n = 138). Guided by the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), we identify advocacy coalitions involved in California's SSB tax debate and explore strategies and arguments used to advance each coalitions' position. RESULTS Two coalitions (public health, food/beverage industry) were involved in California's statewide SSB tax policy debate. The public health coalition had higher member participation and referred to scientific research evidence while the industry coalition used preemption and financial resources as primary advocacy strategies. The public health coalition frequently presented messaging on the health consequences and financial benefits of SSB taxes. The industry coalition responded by focusing on the potential negative economic impact of a tax. CONCLUSION Multiple attempts to enact a statewide SSB tax in California have failed. Our findings add insight into the challenges of enacting an SSB tax considering industry interference. Results can inform future efforts to pass evidence-based nutrition policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kesia K. Garibay
- Department of Public Health, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Nancy J. Burke
- Department of Public Health, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - A. Susana Ramírez
- Department of Public Health, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Denise D. Payán
- Department of Health, Society, and Behavior, Program in Public Health, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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Venson AH, Cardoso LB, Santiago FS, de Souza KB, Bielemann RM. Price elasticity of demand for ready-to-drink sugar-sweetened beverages in Brazil. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293413. [PMID: 37910576 PMCID: PMC10619800 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages is a policy that has been adopted in many countries worldwide, including Latin American, to reduce sugar consumption. However, little is known about how taxation on these products may affect their demand. The present study aims to estimate the price elasticity of demand for sugar-sweetened beverages in Brazil. This study advances the literature by proposing a breakdown between ready-to-drink sugar-sweetened beverages and sugar-sweetened beverages that require some preparation before being consumed. With this disaggregation, it is possible to obtain more accurate elasticities for the group of products that will be effectively taxed. We estimated a Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) model using the Household Budget Survey 2017-2018 microdata. The results show that ready-to-drink beverages is more consumed but less sensitive to changes in price than prepared beverages. The price elasticity of demand for ready-to-drink and prepared sugar-sweetened beverages was -1.19 and -3.38. Additionally, we observe heterogeneity in these price elasticities across household incomes, with a more elastic demand among lower-income households for ready to drink beverages. The findings suggest that taxing ready-to-drink sweetened beverages could potentially reduce sugar consumption directly through a decrease in the consumption of sugary drinks and this effect could be reinforced by reducing the consumption of other sugar-rich products. Therefore, the taxation police should effective contribute to minimize health risks associated to the sugar consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Larissa Barbosa Cardoso
- Faculty of Administration, Accounting and Economic Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Flaviane Souza Santiago
- Faculty of Economics, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Bennett E, Topp SM, Moodie AR. National Public Health Surveillance of Corporations in Key Unhealthy Commodity Industries - A Scoping Review and Framework Synthesis. Int J Health Policy Manag 2023; 12:6876. [PMID: 37579395 PMCID: PMC10425693 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2023.6876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Corporations in unhealthy commodity industries (UCIs) have growing influence on the health of national populations through practices that lead to increased consumption of unhealthy products. The use of government-led public health surveillance is best practice to better understand any emerging public health threat. However, there is minimal systematic evidence, generated and monitored by national governments, regarding the scope of UCI corporate practices and their impacts. This study aims to synthesise current frameworks that exist to identify and monitor UCI influence on health to highlight the range of practices deployed by corporations and inform future surveillance efforts in key UCIs. METHODS Seven biomedical, business and scientific databases were searched to identify literature focused on corporate practices that impact human health and frameworks for monitoring or assessment of the way UCIs impact health. Content analysis occurred in three phases, involving (1) the identification of framework documents in the literature and extraction of all corporate practices from the frameworks; (2) initial inductive grouping and synthesis followed by deductive synthesis using Lima and Galea's 'vehicles of power' as a heuristic; and (3) scoping for potential indicators linked to each corporate practice and development of an integrated framework. RESULTS Fourteen frameworks were identified with 37 individual corporate practices which were coded into five different themes according the Lima and Galea 'Corporate Practices and Health' framework. We proposed a summary framework to inform the public health surveillance of UCIs which outlines key actors, corporate practices and outcomes that should be considered. The proposed framework draws from the health policy triangle framework and synthesises key features of existing frameworks. CONCLUSION Systematic monitoring of the practices of UCIs is likely to enable governments to mitigate the negative health impacts of corporate practices. The proposed synthesised framework highlights the range of practices deployed by corporations for public health surveillance at a national government level. We argue there is significant precedent and great need for monitoring of these practices and the operationalisation of a UCI monitoring system should be the object of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Bennett
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, VIC, Australia
| | - Stephanie M. Topp
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, VIC, Australia
| | - Alan Rob Moodie
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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McKevitt S, White M, Petticrew M, Summerbell C, Vasiljevic M, Boyland E, Cummins S, Laverty AA, Junghans C, Millett C, De Vocht F, Hrobonova E, Vamos EP. Typology of how 'harmful commodity industries' interact with local governments in England: a critical interpretive synthesis. BMJ Glob Health 2023; 8:e010216. [PMID: 36690378 PMCID: PMC9872461 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-010216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Industries that produce and market potentially harmful commodities or services (eg, tobacco, alcohol, gambling, less healthy foods and beverages) are a major influence on the drivers of behavioural risk factors for non-communicable diseases. The nature and impact of interactions between public bodies and 'harmful commodity industries' (HCIs) has been widely recognised and discussed at national and international levels, but to date little is known about such interactions at local or regional government levels. This study aimed to identify and characterise actual and potential interactions and proposes a typology of interactions between HCIs and English local authorities (LAs). METHODS Five electronic databases covering international literature (PubMed, EBSCO, OVID, Scopus and Web of Science) were searched up to June 2021. We also performed online searches for publicly available, web-based grey literature and documented examples of interactions in an English LA context. We conducted a critical interpretive synthesis of the published and grey literature to integrate and conceptualise the data in the context of English LAs. RESULTS We included 47 published papers to provide the frame for the typology, which was refined and contextualised for English LAs through the available grey literature. Three categories were developed, describing the medium through which interactions occur: (1) direct involvement with LAs, (2) involvement through intermediaries and (3) involvement through the local knowledge space. Within these, we grouped interactions into 10 themes defining their nature and identified illustrative examples. CONCLUSION Our typology identifies complex inter-relationships and characterises interactions between HCIs and LAs, with illustrative examples from English LAs. Drawn from well-established theories and frameworks in combination with contextual information on English LAs, this typology explores the LA perspective and could help local decision-makers to maximise population health while minimising negative impacts of HCIs. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42021257311.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah McKevitt
- Public Health Policy Evaluation Unit, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Martin White
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mark Petticrew
- PHP, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Carolyn Summerbell
- Fuse - Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Milica Vasiljevic
- Fuse - Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Emma Boyland
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Steven Cummins
- Population Health Innovation Lab, Department of Public Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Anthony A Laverty
- Public Health Policy Evaluation Unit, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Cornelia Junghans
- Public Health Policy Evaluation Unit, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Christopher Millett
- Public Health Policy Evaluation Unit, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Frank De Vocht
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Eszter P Vamos
- Public Health Policy Evaluation Unit, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Lauber K, Rippin H, Wickramasinghe K, Gilmore AB. Corporate political activity in the context of sugar-sweetened beverage tax policy in the WHO European Region. Eur J Public Health 2022; 32:786-793. [PMID: 36099153 PMCID: PMC9527967 DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckac117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes have emerged as an effective and increasingly popular tool to reduce added sugar intake, an important contributor to obesity and non-communicable diseases. A common barrier to the implementation of well-designed SSB taxes is the opposition of commercial actors. Focusing on the WHO European Region, this study seeks to map if and how key stakeholders have experienced industry efforts to influence SSB taxes. METHODS We identified 11 countries in the WHO European Region which have implemented SSB taxes or attempted to do so. Using an online survey informed by the global literature on industry interference with SSB taxation, we approached 70 in-country policymakers, advocates and academics. The data were analysed using an existing framework of corporate political activity. RESULTS Twenty-three experts from nine countries responded to the survey. Transnational SSB producers and their business associations were identified as the most active opponents of SSB taxation. Industry claims that the policy would have negative economic effects were identified as the most common and powerful arguments. Direct lobbying was reported in all study countries. Shifts in political activity were recognisable across stages of the policy process, moving from outright opposition to attempts to delay or weaken the policy after its announcement. CONCLUSION Those seeking to introduce effective SSB taxation can use our findings to pre-empt and counter industry opposition. We identify several measures for preventing and mitigating industry interference with SSB tax policy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Holly Rippin
- WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD Office), Division of Country Health Programmes, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Moscow, Russia
| | - Kremlin Wickramasinghe
- WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD Office), Division of Country Health Programmes, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Moscow, Russia
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