A division of the publisher of the Economist magazine was forced to cancel a major cancer conference at the last minute after negative reactions from speakers and attendees about its partnership with the tobacco companies behind brands such as Marlboro and Benson & Hedges.
Economist Impact, part of the Economist Group, which owns the weekly business magazine of the same name, is said to be 10th Annual World Cancer Series in Brussels at the end of the month.
The two-day event at the Marriott Hotel Grand Palace is billed as “shaping the agenda for cancer control” and attracted more than 300 participants and 80 speakers.
According to The Guardian, the event was canceled due to negative reactions to Economist Impact’s ties with Philip Morris International, the world’s largest tobacco company and owner of the most popular Marlboro brand, and Japan Tobacco International, owner of brands including Camel, Silk Cut and Benson & Hedges.
Last week, the Union for International Cancer Control, the oldest and largest global membership organization dedicated to taking action on cancer, said it was withdrawing from the Economist Impact event “because of the ties with the tobacco industry”.
“This decision is the result of UICC learning that Economist Impact is collaborating with Philip Morris International (PMI) and Japan Tobacco International (JTI),” the union said. “UICC has a long-standing policy not to engage with the tobacco industry, in line with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This policy reflects our commitment to public health and our dedication to reducing the global burden of cancer.”
The union, which was a “supporting organisation” of the Economist Impact event, has more than 1,100 member organisations in over 170 countries and territories.
Mark Lawler, professor of digital health at Queen’s University Belfast and chair of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership, said he was stunned when he heard about the links. “Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Economist Impact, which organises the global cancer series event where I was due to speak in Brussels, was backed by not one but two international cigarette companies: Philip Morris International and Japan Tobacco International. I was furious and immediately withdrew from the event.
“In what world can an organization seriously think it’s okay to host a high profile cancer event, bringing together experts from around the world, while also getting sponsorship from a company whose product has caused millions of cancer deaths worldwide? Absolutely shocking.”
Dr Wendy Yared, director of the Association of European Cancer Leagues, said she had sent a letter to the organisers on September 16 indicating that she did not wish to participate in the conference.
“I sincerely hope that your colleagues at Economist Impact realise the real impact they have when they work with an industry that produces and unscrupulously promotes a deadly product worldwide, responsible for 25% of all cancer deaths,” she wrote.
Later that day, Ian Hemming, director of Economist Impact Events, sent an email to inform all speakers that the conference had been cancelled.
“We have noted the cancer community’s concerns about Economist lmpact’s work being sponsored by tobacco companies,” he wrote. “We have a long-standing policy that we do not accept sponsorship from tobacco companies for Economist lmpact’s health care work or events. We respect the choice of some speakers and sponsors not to attend the summit.”
The Economist Impact website features branded content, such as an article titled A fine balance. Bring change.that is “endorsed by Philip Morris International” and features the company’s logo.
The piece portrays the tobacco giant in a sympathetic manner, comparing it to car manufacturers that developed polluting combustion engines but are now switching to cleaner technologies such as electric and hybrid vehicles.
One passage states: “In a similar way, a company like Philip Morris International (PMI) is evolving into a science and technology-driven enterprise focused on delivering better non-combustion alternatives to its customers.”
Another piece, marked as an advertising element, is written by a senior vice president of corporate affairs at JTI.
The article argues that the rising cost of cigarettes, which are regularly subject to tax increases, is causing consumers to turn to illegal tobacco companies. This means that governments are losing revenue from the legitimate big tobacco companies.
“Where we see the affordability of legal cigarettes being pushed out of reach for many consumers, particularly during these times, we see illicit trade continuing to grow,” the JTI director’s piece said. “As governments seek to curb budget deficits, taking action against illicit trade could prevent the loss of billions of dollars that are stolen by criminals every year.”
The argument against forcing tobacco companies to increase the price of cigarettes is supported by the claim that the French government lost €2.5 to €3 billion in excise duties each year after the price of a packet of cigarettes increased by 80% between 2010 and 2020.
Previous editions of the Economist Impact event on cancer have had brands such as GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen, and Merck & Co. MSD as main sponsors.
An Economist Group spokesperson said: “We respect the choice of some speakers not to attend Economist Impact’s World Cancer Series Summit. In light of these changes, we have cancelled this year’s event.”
