South East Asia Tobacco Industry Interference Index

Overview

World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Article 5.3 empowers governments to protect their public health policies from tobacco industry interference.1 In 2008, guidelines to Article 5.3,2 were adopted by Parties to the FCTC and these provide specific measures that governments can put in place to reduce and prevent tobacco industry (TI) interference. It has been about ten years since the adoption of Article 5.3 guidelines but the tobacco industry remains a big challenge to governments. The industry has been identified as the greatest barrier to the implementation of the FCTC by many Parties.3