HISTORY OF TOBACCO
- GLOBAL POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECTS
by SRAYON DATTA
The most probable universal name by which this plant is
undoubtedly derived from the Spanish term Tabaco, but from what
source the Spanish word itself is derived is a hard nut to crack. The
dictionary of the Royal academy of Spain derives it from the name of
the province from where it grows, or from that of an island on the
cost of South America. Las Casas and Charlevoix say presume that
the Spaniards took the name from that of the pipe with which the
pipe was smoked, in the language of the Caribs of Hayti. 1 This last
derivation seems to be the most appropriate of all. William Prescott
says that the name of the plant in the Aster language is Yetl, and the
probability is that each of many American Languages had a native
name for it.
Of all the vegetable products consumed by man, tobacco is the most
commonly so, and the explosivity of its diffusion is one of the most
remarkable facts in the history of commerce. It is because of the
wide geographical bounds within which it maybe cultivated, to the
facility with which it is grown and its consequent cheapness, but
above all to its narcotic quality. It may be grown without difficulty
from the equator certainly to the 50 th degree of latitude as history
suggests. The finest tobaccos cultivated in Western Asia are the
Latakia (in Syria). In India, the finest tobacco takes the name of
Bilsah, in Madhya Pradesh between the 23 rd and 24th degrees of
latitude and of Kaira in Gujrat, in thye 23 rd degree. The strongest of
tobaccos are generally believed to be found in south of Cuba 2.
The globalisation of tobacco marketing, trade, research and industry
influence represents a major threat to public health worldwide.
Drawing upon tobacco industry strategy documents prepared over
several decades, there are reports which demonstrate how the
tobacco industry operates as global force, as far as its operating
1
Health Letter. The ACLU’s Tobacco Addiction. Wolfe SM, ed. Health Letter 1998; 14:10-12
2
British American Tobacco Company. Tobacco Strategy review team meeting minutes. BATCo document May
29 1993:202227112-120.
market by planning, developing, and marketing its products on a
global scale is concerned. The industry has used a plethora of
methods to buy influence and power, and penetrate markets,
breaking into the economy with its disruptive policies across the
entire geography of the world. It has an annual turnover of almost
400 billion us dollars. In contrast, until recently tobacco control
lacked global leadership and strategic direction and had been
severely underfunded. As a part of moving close towards a more
sustainable form of globalisation, a global enabling environment
linked to local actions should incline its focus on strategies like,
information management, facilitated across various locations, legal
instruments and foreign policy; and establishment of strong
partnerships with purpose. As the vector of the tobacco epidemic,
the tobacco industry’s actions fall far outside of the boundaries of
global corporate responsibility. Therefore, global and local actions
should not provide the tobacco industry with the two things that it
needs to ensure its long-term profitability: predictability and
respectability.3 As the vector of the tobacco epidemic, an
increasingly globalised tobacco industry is cautious of the
characteristics of globalisation. The massive tobacco MNC’s are
attempting to manipulate globalisation trends in their favour 4. In an
exponentially rising global marketplace mega mergers and
acquisitions have dramatically changed the face of the worldwide
cigarette industry. Cigarette companies are looking for greater
production volumes: “the more you produce, the more profitable
you are”. The global shift toward liberalisation propelled by
multilateral trade agreements such as the single package of World
Trade Organization (WTO) trade agreements, regional and bilateral
agreements have encouraged the penetration of new markets by
tobacco MNC’s. Market liberalisation and penetration has been
linked to a greater risk of increased tobacco consumption, especially
3
Fifty-second World Health Assembly. Tobacco free initiative. Summary record of the sixth meeting of
committee 1999:19-20.
4
RJ Reynolds. Internal document citing Claude Tengue, Reynolds document I1983.
in low and middle income countries. The tobacco industry’s
strategies are intimately linked with the idea of international brands.
The industry recognises that in many areas “from advertising to
quality standards, it is easier to control one brand than many
different ones”5. The industry looks towards the creation of new
“global standards” and a “global smoker” as one way of overcoming
markets which have resisted the tobacco industries, onslaught:
“Globalisation has its limits. In India, for instance, around 80 per cent
of the population uses traditional tobacco products such as Bidis or
chewing tobacco….For how long will these markets resist the
attraction of global trends? In one or two generations, the sons and
grandsons of today’s Indians may not want to smoke bidis or chew
pan masala….Global brands are one way to accelerate this process.” 6
In other words industry strategists are encouraging the
homogenisation of the global tobacco industry and the creation of a
new global shared culture enshrined in the philosophy of a global
smoker. The global consolidation of the tobacco industry, a downside
of the globalisation process, is an obvious vehicle for promoting the
idea of global smokers and their global brands.7
THE EXTENT OF THE THREAT
If the world were a village of a 1000 people, it would include 584
Asians; 150 Europeans, of which 55 are from the former soviet
republics; 124 Africans; 84 Latin Americans; 52 North Americans and
6 Australian and New Zealanders. In this 1000-person village, 229
adults- 173 men and 56 women-smoke. Further, 115 of the smokers
are Asians, 28 are Europeans and 28 are Africans. 8 The tobacco
industry would see massive marketing opportunities. In the Asian
population and among women for its products. A careful reading of
5
Bloxcidge J. International Tobacco Grower’s association , DEPO-0304, October,11.
6
Crescenti MG. the new tobacco world. Tobacco Journal International 1998;3:51
7
Fletcher R, Rothman’s Regional public affairs Manager, quoted in Ibison D. Rothman’s Joint deal opens
Heavenly Gates. Window Magazine 1992;4.
8
Barton. HC. Internal report of the Tobacco strategy group, BAT Industries Document, September 7, 1994.
the industry documents released as part of the Minnesota trial
discloses the tobacco industry’s clear focus on Asia. In 1992,
Rothman’s executive stated succinctly that “thinking about Chinese
smoking statistics is like trying to think about the limits of the
space”.9 In a confidential, classified note from a BATCo tobacco
strategy group in September 1994, “ it was agreed that China is the
topmost priority in terms of size and potential…..in Japan, the
strategy is aggressive and organic growth”. 10 In that meeting a
revised, more proactive approach to smoking issues was presented
to be communicated in clear, credible terms with no time lag around
the group. However, Asia alone is not the only target market or the
only population to suffer the adverse effects of tobacco industry
globalisation.
INFLUENCING THE WHO BUDGET
More than a Decade ago INFOTAB, a tobacco industry supported
think tank, published “A guide for dealing with anti-tobacco pressure
group”.11 This guide calls for the establishment of an “early warning
system” to detect dangerous signs such as the presence of a WHO
regional office, setting up a regional workshop of activists, setting of
non-smoker’s right’s associations, and starting up of an anti’s
coalition. If a pro tobacco control group is identified, the think tank
recommends that the industry forms industry lobby groups and
alliances with the core arguments freedom/liberty, attack the
credibility of activists; and stress the industry’s role in jobs and
revenue.
9
Fletcher R, Rothman’s Regional public affairs Manager, quoted in Ibison D. Rothman’s Joint deal opens
Heavenly Gates. Window Magazine 1992;4.
10
Barton. HC. Internal report of the Tobacco strategy group, BAT Industries Document, September 7, 1994.
11
INFOTAB. A guide for dealing with anti-tobacco pressure groups. Infotab document, October 1999.
