"The law was actually drafted by us but the Government is to be congratulated on its wise actions": British American Tobacco and public policy in Kenya.
"The law was actually drafted by us but the Government is to be congratulated on its wise actions": British American Tobacco and public policy in Kenya.
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DOI：
10.1136/tc.2006.016071
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发表时间：
2007-02-01
期刊：
影响因子：
5.2
通讯作者：
Gilmore, Anna B
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Patel, Preeti;Collin, Jeff;Gilmore, Anna B
背景和目的：英美烟草公司(BAT)历来在肯尼亚享有垄断地位。通过对近期烟草控制辩论的分析和英美烟草应对肯尼亚竞争加剧的案例研究，探索该公司塑造公共政策的能力及其对烟草农民的待遇。设计：分析英美烟草吉尔福德仓库的内部行业文件、其他相关数据和对关键线人的采访。结果：英美烟草在肯尼亚拥有广泛的高层政治关系，包括与肯尼亚历任总统的密切关系。这种联系似乎被用来影响公共政策。卫生立法被稀释和拖延，当市场上出现竞争对手时，英美烟草利用其人脉让政府通过了英美烟草起草的立法，迫使农民向英美烟草出售烟草，而不是向其竞争对手出售烟草。英美烟草支付给农民的报酬已经比其他任何非洲种叶公司都少，而且这项立法根深蒂固地规定了微薄的报酬和准封建关系。英美烟草公司对竞争威胁的公关反应以及部长们赞扬烟草种植的经济重要性的公开声明表明，英美烟草公司将烟草种植作为一个政治问题来操纵。结论：英美烟草公司对公共政策的影响程度与以下观察结果一致：尽管批准了《烟草控制框架公约》，但肯尼亚在实施烟草控制措施方面的进展有限。烟草种植的好处似乎被刻意夸大了，迫切需要对其真正的成本效益进行分析。必须保护烟农不受英美烟草公司掠夺性做法的影响，并充分了解其活动，以帮助他们在政策辩论中发挥知情作用。由于形象，尤其是围绕烟草种植重要性的形象，似乎是英美烟草影响政策能力的关键，因此必须公布其对待农民的真相。
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: British American Tobacco (BAT) has historically enjoyed a monopoly position in Kenya. Analysis of recent tobacco control debates and a case study of BAT's response to the emergence of competition in Kenya are used to explore the company's ability to shape public policy and its treatment of tobacco farmers.DESIGN: Analysis of internal industry documents from BAT's Guildford depository, other relevant data and interviews with key informants.RESULTS: BAT enjoys extensive high-level political connections in Kenya, including close relationships with successive Kenyan presidents. Such links seems to have been used to influence public policy. Health legislation has been diluted and delayed, and when a competitor emerged in the market, BAT used its contacts to have the government pass legislation drafted by BAT that compelled farmers to sell tobacco to BAT rather than to its competitor. BAT was already paying farmers less than any other African leaf-growing company, and the legislation entrenched poor pay and a quasi-feudal relationship. BAT's public relation's response to the threat of competition and the ministers' public statements extolling the economic importance of tobacco growing suggest that BAT has manipulated tobacco farming as a political issue.CONCLUSIONS: The extent of BAT's influence over public policy is consistent with the observations that, despite ratifying the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, progress in implementing tobacco control measures in Kenya has been limited. The benefits of tobacco farming seem to be deliberately exaggerated, and an analysis of its true cost benefits is urgently needed. Tobacco farmers must be protected against BAT's predatory practices and fully informed about its activities to help them have an informed role in policy debates. As image, particularly around the importance of tobacco farming, seems key to BAT's ability to influence policy, the truth about its treatment of farmers must be publicised.