The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Tobacco control association ViSa-Mauritius adapts new methods of fighting the tobacco industry in the light of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The tobacco industry is cornered since the tobacco papers made public through court cases revealed its dirty dealings and truth concealment regarding the scientific proofs on the debilitating and lethal nature of the tobacco products. In order to survive to such public shame, the tobacco industry buys relationships and uses front groups to influence public opinion and policy makers.

The priority is to identify and unveil the tobacco industry's interests and expose them, and warn BAT's ‘friends' that their goodwill was abused and that they are discredited. The tobacco industry allies can be tracked by getting information on the net and media. Event reporting with pictures often show people from the tobacco industry with Ministers, NGOs or the business community.

ViSa reacts by sending letters of protest, petitions, emails and flyers to the concerned people or associations, enterprises, NGOs, to Ministers, media and to international agencies and Globalink, so that each one realize his share of responsibility in the tobacco epidemic and stop any collaboration with the killer industry.

ViSa-Mauritius found that the tobacco industry tried to infiltrate the Ministry of Health, the University of Mauritius, Hotels and Restaurants Association, different enterprises and agencies, the NGOs for poverty alleviation, environment, women's rights etc. After ViSa intervention, the Mauritian public is sensitized and BAT's friends are asked to keep away.