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Tobacco industry courted African American leaders to boost sales and stave off anti-tobacco legislation

November 12, 2002

The tobacco industry deliberately courted African American leadership organisations to increase its sales and defuse attempts to control tobacco use, reveals research in Tobacco Control.

Compared with other racial groups in the US, African Americans bear the brunt of tobacco related disease, with a death toll of around 45,000 people every year.

The researchers drew their conclusions from an analysis of over 700 previously secret industry documents.

The documents reveal that the tobacco industry forged relationships with virtually every African American leadership organisation and built longstanding social connections with the community.

The study charts various activities. For example, Philip Morris hired people who were influential within the African American community. And the company sponsored a symposium on black civil rights as well as programmes aired on over 200 radio stations in 50 countries in honour of black history month.

Tobacco money has also sponsored and supported African American civil, educational, social, and political organisations, to the tune of an estimated US $25 million a year, say the authors.

An internal document from Brown and Williamson suggests that the association with a black civil rights group could be viewed as "an endorsement of [B&W] and its products."

The document goes on to explain that the reason for the company's interest is "the actual and potential sales of B&W products within these communities."

The documents also show that the industry was keen to target black politicians in the process of consolidating their career, who were subsequently expected to pledge their support in return for the industry's largesse.

"These relationships served the industry by helping to keep African Americans engaged as tobacco consumers and silent as opponents," say the authors.

They conclude that the industry was motivated on three specific counts: to increase tobacco sales among African Americans; to use them to defend industry policy; and to defuse tobacco control efforts.

British Medical Journal (BMJ)