Using the judicial system to fight tobacco: Perspectives from the Global South

Introduction Recent litigation cases such as the Brazilian lawsuit against the largest tobacco corporations seeking the recovery of healthcare costs related to the treatment of tobacco-related diseases1 demonstrate that the use of the judicial system, particularly liability, keeps gaining ground in...

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Main Authors: Daniel Dorado, Isabel Barbosa, Davi Bressler, Gianella Severini
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: European Publishing 2023-04-01
Series:Tobacco Prevention and Cessation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tobaccopreventioncessation.com/Using-the-judicial-system-to-fight-tobacco-Perspectives-from-the-Global-South,162648,0,2.html
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author Daniel Dorado
Isabel Barbosa
Davi Bressler
Gianella Severini
author_facet Daniel Dorado
Isabel Barbosa
Davi Bressler
Gianella Severini
author_sort Daniel Dorado
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Recent litigation cases such as the Brazilian lawsuit against the largest tobacco corporations seeking the recovery of healthcare costs related to the treatment of tobacco-related diseases1 demonstrate that the use of the judicial system, particularly liability, keeps gaining ground in order to: shift public views in favor of tobacco control, denormalize tobacco use, promote corrective actions/remedies and deter future misconduct. Such lawsuits are a fulfillment of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s (FCTC) Article 19—to hold the tobacco industry legally and finally accountable for its harms. This abstract addresses the use of the judicial system to fight tobacco that has been carried out in the Global South, by showing a concrete case study and tools that could be used to create change. Material and Methods From a literature and practitioner review, co-authors will share one example of Tobacco litigation in the Global South: the Brazil Case. The presentation will focus on transnational liability, the concept of diffuse damages in a public health system, and the use of the lawsuit to expose industry documents. Results The use of the judicial system (including Article 19 FCTC) gives a framework to make the tobacco industry pay, promoting accountability and deterrence. It can also be a tool for the implementation of other FCTC provisions, like Article 5.3. Conclusions The tobacco epidemic is wholly driven by an industry with more money and resources than many countries in which it operates. Governments and individuals currently bear the costs of the epidemic. It is time for that to change and to shift the cost of burden back onto the tobacco industry, forcing them to respect the rule of law and pay for the harms it causes in countries across the globe. Liability is a major tool for such a goal.
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spelling doaj.art-e83005331ea14ca49a59a127fbc33e1d2024-01-31T10:28:10ZengEuropean PublishingTobacco Prevention and Cessation2459-30872023-04-019Supplement10.18332/tpc/162648162648Using the judicial system to fight tobacco: Perspectives from the Global SouthDaniel Dorado0Isabel Barbosa1Davi Bressler2Gianella Severini3Corporate Accountability, Boston, United StatesO’ Neill Institute-Georgetown University, Washington, United StatesO’Neill Institute-Georgetown University, Porto Alegre, BrazilCampaign For Tobacco Free Kids, Cordoba, ArgentinaIntroduction Recent litigation cases such as the Brazilian lawsuit against the largest tobacco corporations seeking the recovery of healthcare costs related to the treatment of tobacco-related diseases1 demonstrate that the use of the judicial system, particularly liability, keeps gaining ground in order to: shift public views in favor of tobacco control, denormalize tobacco use, promote corrective actions/remedies and deter future misconduct. Such lawsuits are a fulfillment of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s (FCTC) Article 19—to hold the tobacco industry legally and finally accountable for its harms. This abstract addresses the use of the judicial system to fight tobacco that has been carried out in the Global South, by showing a concrete case study and tools that could be used to create change. Material and Methods From a literature and practitioner review, co-authors will share one example of Tobacco litigation in the Global South: the Brazil Case. The presentation will focus on transnational liability, the concept of diffuse damages in a public health system, and the use of the lawsuit to expose industry documents. Results The use of the judicial system (including Article 19 FCTC) gives a framework to make the tobacco industry pay, promoting accountability and deterrence. It can also be a tool for the implementation of other FCTC provisions, like Article 5.3. Conclusions The tobacco epidemic is wholly driven by an industry with more money and resources than many countries in which it operates. Governments and individuals currently bear the costs of the epidemic. It is time for that to change and to shift the cost of burden back onto the tobacco industry, forcing them to respect the rule of law and pay for the harms it causes in countries across the globe. Liability is a major tool for such a goal.https://www.tobaccopreventioncessation.com/Using-the-judicial-system-to-fight-tobacco-Perspectives-from-the-Global-South,162648,0,2.htmltobaccolawtobacco use
spellingShingle Daniel Dorado
Isabel Barbosa
Davi Bressler
Gianella Severini
Using the judicial system to fight tobacco: Perspectives from the Global South
Tobacco Prevention and Cessation
tobacco
law
tobacco use
title Using the judicial system to fight tobacco: Perspectives from the Global South
title_full Using the judicial system to fight tobacco: Perspectives from the Global South
title_fullStr Using the judicial system to fight tobacco: Perspectives from the Global South
title_full_unstemmed Using the judicial system to fight tobacco: Perspectives from the Global South
title_short Using the judicial system to fight tobacco: Perspectives from the Global South
title_sort using the judicial system to fight tobacco perspectives from the global south
topic tobacco
law
tobacco use
url https://www.tobaccopreventioncessation.com/Using-the-judicial-system-to-fight-tobacco-Perspectives-from-the-Global-South,162648,0,2.html
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