CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
“CSR PROJECT of tobacco companies” - no doubt, it is only “ a wolf in sheep’s clothing”
 
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Volunteers Against Smoking and Tobacco, Tiruchirappalli, India
 
 
Publication date: 2021-09-02
 
 
Corresponding author
Regunathan Venkatachalam Pillai   

Volunteers Against Smoking and Tobacco, 32 Tiruvenkata Nagar, Tiruchirappalli – 620013, India
 
 
Tob. Induc. Dis. 2021;19(Suppl 1):A246
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
UNIDO defines Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations, such as: environmental management, eco-efficiency, community relations, social equity, human rights, good governance, and anti-corruption measures. However, all the Tobacco Companies located across the Globe, under the cover of their CSR PROJECTS, launch an array of projects &/ programs to covertly promote their business, position their logo & brand, launch surrogate advertisements. No doubt, it’s a “Wolf in Sheep’s clothing”.

Objectives:
To tactically uncover the Sheep\'s clothing and expose the true-face of Tobacco Companies.

Methods:
ITC Ltd. is India’s biggest cigarette manufacturer. Under its CSR kitty, it has programs for afforestation, watershed development, livestock development, women empowerment, school-based programs, skill development, etc. Whereas ITC runs all these programs to covertly make surrogate advertisement of their products and logo. With the following catchy slogans, ITC is attempting to brand itself as a socially responsible company : “transforming lives and landscapes”, “world’s only company to be carbon-positive, water-positive” “creating 6 million sustainable livelihoods”

Results:
However, in reality :: - ITC destroys more than five times of forests than its afforestation program. - Through its school-based programs, ITC only attempts to embed its brand in the minds of students and make them as “replacement smokers” - cigarettes are a major cause of air, water and soil pollution, whereas ITC claims as “world’s only company to be carbon-positive, water-positive” - ITC Claims that it creates “creating 6 million sustainable livelihoods”, while it is a proven fact that cigarettes kills more than 6 million people per annum.

Conclusion(s):
All Governments across the globe should initiate steps to enact suitable laws and regulations - prohibiting the tobacco companies from all types of CSR Projects - instead Government should get these monies and spend towards creating a "tobacco free globe".

eISSN:1617-9625
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