IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v164y2016icp100-107.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Rhetoric and the law, or the law of rhetoric: How countries oppose novel tobacco control measures at the World Trade Organization

Author

Listed:
  • Lencucha, Raphael
  • Drope, Jeffrey
  • Labonte, Ronald

Abstract

The tobacco industry has developed an extensive array of strategies and arguments to prevent or weaken government regulation. These strategies and arguments are well documented at the domestic level. However, there remains a need to examine how these arguments are reflected in the challenges waged by governments within the World Trade Organization (WTO). Decisions made at the WTO have the potential to shape how countries govern. Our analysis was conducted on two novel tobacco control measures: tobacco additives bans (Canada, United States and Brazil) and plain, standardized packaging of tobacco products (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, EU and UK). We analyzed WTO documents (i.e. meeting minutes and submissions) (n = 62) in order to identify patterns of argumentation and compare these patterns with well-documented industry arguments. The pattern of these arguments reveal that despite the unique institutional structure of the WTO, country representatives opposing novel tobacco control measures use the same non-technical arguments as those that the tobacco industry continues to use to oppose these measures at the domestic level.

Suggested Citation

  • Lencucha, Raphael & Drope, Jeffrey & Labonte, Ronald, 2016. "Rhetoric and the law, or the law of rhetoric: How countries oppose novel tobacco control measures at the World Trade Organization," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 100-107.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:164:y:2016:i:c:p:100-107
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.07.026
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953616303872
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.07.026?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thrasher, James F. & Rousu, Matthew C. & Hammond, David & Navarro, Ashley & Corrigan, Jay R., 2011. "Estimating the Impact of Food and Drug Administration Regulation of Cigarette Package Warning Labels and the Potential Added Impact of Plain Packaging: Evidence From Experimental Auctions Among Adult ," 2011 Annual Meeting, July 24-26, 2011, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 103169, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. McGrady,Benn, 2011. "Trade and Public Health," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107008410, November.
    3. Thrasher, James F. & Rousu, Matthew C. & Hammond, David & Navarro, Ashley & Corrigan, Jay R., 2011. "Estimating the impact of pictorial health warnings and "plain" cigarette packaging: Evidence from experimental auctions among adult smokers in the United States," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(1), pages 41-48, September.
    4. Risako Shirane & Katherine Smith & Hana Ross & Karin E Silver & Simon Williams & Anna Gilmore, 2012. "Tobacco Industry Manipulation of Tobacco Excise and Tobacco Advertising Policies in the Czech Republic: An Analysis of Tobacco Industry Documents," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(6), pages 1-16, June.
    5. Chad P. Bown & Bernard M. Hoekman, 2005. "WTO Dispute Settlement and the Missing Developing Country Cases: Engaging the Private Sector," Journal of International Economic Law, Oxford University Press, vol. 8(4), pages 861-890, December.
    6. Otañez, M.G. & Mamudu, H.M. & Glantz, S.A., 2009. "Tobacco companies' use of developing countries' economic reliance on tobacco to lobby against global tobacco control: The case of Malawi," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(10), pages 1759-1771.
    7. Mamudu, Hadii M. & Hammond, Ross & Glantz, Stanton, 2008. "Tobacco industry attempts to counter the World Bank report curbing the epidemic and obstruct the WHO framework convention on tobacco control," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(11), pages 1690-1699, December.
    8. Wade, Robert Hunter, 2003. "What strategies are viable for developing countries today? The World Trade Organization and the shrinking of ‘development space’," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 28239, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Selda Ulucanlar & Gary J Fooks & Jenny L Hatchard & Anna B Gilmore, 2014. "Representation and Misrepresentation of Scientific Evidence in Contemporary Tobacco Regulation: A Review of Tobacco Industry Submissions to the UK Government Consultation on Standardised Packaging," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(3), pages 1-15, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Raphael Lencucha & Jeffrey Drope & Ronald Labonte & Benedito Cunguara & Arne Ruckert & Zvikie Mlambo & Artwell Kadungure & Stella Bialous & Nhamo Nhamo, 2020. "The Political Economy of Tobacco in Mozambique and Zimbabwe: A Triangulation Mixed Methods Protocol," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-13, June.
    2. Crosbie, Eric, 2019. "Removing the last billboard for the tobacco industry: Tobacco standardized packaging in Ireland," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(10), pages 932-935.
    3. Barlow, Pepita & Stuckler, David, 2021. "Globalization and health policy space: introducing the WTO health dataset of trade challenges to national health regulations at World Trade Organization, 1995-2016," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 108988, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Barlow, Pepita & Gleeson, Deborah & O'Brien, Paula & Labonte, Ronald, 2022. "Industry influence over global alcohol policies via the World Trade Organization: a qualitative analysis of discussions on alcohol health warning labelling, 2010–19," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 113820, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. Patricia A McDaniel & Ruth E Malone, 2020. "Tobacco industry and public health responses to state and local efforts to end tobacco sales from 1969-2020," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(5), pages 1-25, May.
    6. Madelyn Clark & Peter Magati & Jeffrey Drope & Ronald Labonte & Raphael Lencucha, 2020. "Understanding Alternatives to Tobacco Production in Kenya: A Qualitative Analysis at the Sub-National Level," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-14, March.
    7. Barlow, P. & Thow, A.M., 2021. "Neoliberal discourse, actor power, and the politics of nutrition policy: A qualitative analysis of informal challenges to nutrition labelling regulations at the World Trade Organization, 2007–2019," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 273(C).
    8. Barlow, P. & Stuckler, D., 2021. "Globalization and health policy space: Introducing the WTOhealth dataset of trade challenges to national health regulations at World Trade Organization, 1995–2016," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    9. Patay, Dori & Schram, Ashley & Friel, Sharon, 2022. "The role of causal ideas in the governance of commercial determinants of health. A qualitative study of tobacco control in the pacific," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    10. Barlow, Pepita & Sanap, Rujuta & Garde, Amandine & Winters, L. Alan & Mabhala, Mzwandile A. & Thow, Anne Marie, 2022. "Reassessing the health impacts of trade and investment agreements: a systematic review of quantitative studies, 2016–20," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 113791, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Francesco Bogliacino & Cristiano Codagnone & Giuseppe Alessandro Veltri & Amitav Chakravarti & Pietro Ortoleva & George Gaskell & Andriy Ivchenko & Francisco Lupiáñez-Villanueva & Francesco Mureddu & , 2015. "Pathos & Ethos: Emotions and Willingness to Pay for Tobacco Products," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(10), pages 1-25, October.
    2. Corrigan, Jay R. & Rousu, Matthew C. & Depositario, Dinah Pura T., 2014. "Do practice rounds affect experimental auction results?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 123(1), pages 42-44.
    3. Marwah M. Hassounah & Abdulmohsen H. Al-Zalabani & Mohammed D. AlAhmari & Afraa A. Murriky & Anwar M. Makeen & Abdullah M.M. Alanazi, 2020. "Implementation of Cigarette Plain Packaging: Triadic Reactions of Consumers, State Officials, and Tobacco Companies—The Case of Saudi Arabia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-14, April.
    4. Raphael Lencucha & Jeffrey Drope & Ronald Labonte & Benedito Cunguara & Arne Ruckert & Zvikie Mlambo & Artwell Kadungure & Stella Bialous & Nhamo Nhamo, 2020. "The Political Economy of Tobacco in Mozambique and Zimbabwe: A Triangulation Mixed Methods Protocol," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-13, June.
    5. Rousu, Matthew C. & Marette, Stéphan & Thrasher, James F. & Lusk, Jayson L., 2014. "The economic value to smokers of graphic warning labels on cigarettes: Evidence from combining market and experimental auction data," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 123-134.
    6. Rosemary Hiscock & Nicole H Augustin & J Robert Branston & Anna B Gilmore, 2020. "Standardised packaging, minimum excise tax, and RYO focussed tax rise implications for UK tobacco pricing," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(2), pages 1-21, February.
    7. Jeffrey E. Harris & Ana Inés Balsa & Patricia Triunfo, 2014. "Tobacco Control Campaign in Uruguay: Impact on Smoking Cessation during Pregnancy," NBER Working Papers 19878, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Peter Newell, 2008. "Forum 2008," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 39(6), pages 1063-1078, November.
    9. Alex Izurieta, 2009. "Forum 2009," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 40(6), pages 1153-1190, November.
    10. Ziya Onis & Fikret Senses, 2007. "Global Dynamics, Domestic Coalitions and a Reactive State: Major Policy Shifts in Post-War Turkish Economic Development," Working Papers 2007/7, Turkish Economic Association.
    11. Ali Burak Güven, 2012. "The IMF, the World Bank, and the Global Economic Crisis: Exploring Paradigm Continuity," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 43(4), pages 869-898, July.
    12. Götz, Christian & Heckelei, Thomas & Rudloff, Bettina, 2010. "What makes countries initiate WTO disputes on food-related issues?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 154-162, April.
    13. Wolfgang Hein & Lars Kohlmorgen, 2005. "Global Health Governance: Conflicts on Global Social Rights," HEW 0509001, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Jennifer Cantrell & Donna M Vallone & James F Thrasher & Rebekah H Nagler & Shari P Feirman & Larry R Muenz & David Y He & Kasisomayajula Viswanath, 2013. "Impact of Tobacco-Related Health Warning Labels across Socioeconomic, Race and Ethnic Groups: Results from a Randomized Web-Based Experiment," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(1), pages 1-11, January.
    15. Kara M. Reynolds & Chad P. Bown, 2014. "Trade Flows and Trade Disputes," Working Papers 2014-05, American University, Department of Economics.
    16. Chin W. Yang & Hui Wen Cheng & Ching Wen Chi & Bwo-Nung Huang, 2016. "A Tax Can Increase Profit of a Monopolist or a Monopoly-like Firm: A Fiction or Distinct Possibility?," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 216(1), pages 39-60, March.
    17. Cheng, An-Ting, 2022. "Reinventing the industrial land use policy in democratized development states – A comparison of Taiwan and South Korea," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    18. Naude, Wim & Nagler, Paula, 2015. "Industrialisation, Innovation, Inclusion," MERIT Working Papers 2015-043, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    19. Marian Negoita, 2014. "Globalization, state, and innovation: An appraisal of networked industrial policy," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 8(3), pages 371-393, September.
    20. Barlow, P. & Stuckler, D., 2021. "Globalization and health policy space: Introducing the WTOhealth dataset of trade challenges to national health regulations at World Trade Organization, 1995–2016," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:164:y:2016:i:c:p:100-107. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.