Scottish anti-smoking charity ASH Scotland has expressed concern that the Scottish Parliament's Health, Social care and Sport Committee has given two organisations influenced by big tobacco companies the opportunity to influence health policy.
ASH Scotland said the participation of the two organisations at the parliamentary evidence session on 21 May could influence decision-making and breach global health treaties.
The charity believes that the participation of the UK E-Cigarette Industry Association (UKVIA) and the Scottish Retailers Federation (SGF) in the committee's review of the Legislative Consent Memorandum for the Tobacco and E-Cigarette Bill breaches Scotland's long-standing position on Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The UK is a signatory to the Convention and the Scottish Government has been committed to complying with it since 2013.
The World Health Organization (WHO) considers the tobacco industry's interests to be "fundamentally and irreconcilably opposed" to the objectives of public health, and according to article 5.3 of the FCTC, they and their vested or commercial interests should be allowed to participate only to the extent necessary after health policy has been fully developed.
ASH Scotland urged the committee to withdraw its invitation to UKVIA and the SGF, noting that the House of Commons committee would not allow UKVIA to attend an oral evidence session on 30 April or 1 May to review the Tobacco and e-Cigarette Bill.
From its founding in 2016 until September 2023, UKVIA's membership includes small independent e-cigarette manufacturers and four major Tobacco companies: Japan Tobacco International (JTI), British American Tobacco (BAT), Philip Morris International (PMI) and Imperial Tobacco. In May 2023, the SGF listed Japan Tobacco International (JTI), Philip Morris International (PMI), British American Tobacco (BAT) and Imperial Brands as corporate members, as well as e-cigarette brands owned by the tobacco industry.
