BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES: Intimidation from unhealthy commodity industries, including tobacco, remains a significant barrier to public health progress. Greater efforts are needed to empower and support advocates and researchers who are at risk of, or have experienced, intimidation.
INTERVENTION OR RESPONSE: This poster will summarise the latest research on intimidatory tactics, explain country-level experiences and summarise key practical strategies to address these challenges.
A key part of the poster will be the description of a new website designed to inform and empower tobacco control advocates and researchers across the world who face or may face intimidation. This is the first such intervention in tobacco control.
RESULTS AND IMPACT: The original research has allowed, for the first time, a more detailed understanding of the intimidation tactics deployed by the industry showing prevalence and favoured sources of pressure. In addition, advocate interviews have highlighted the impact of these tactics. This is an area that does not figure widely in the literature but the impact on researchers can be debilitating. The research has led to the development of a website to better inform researchers as well as training in digital safety. It has also generated discussions with researchers on other unhealthy commodities to share best practice.
CONCLUSIONS: That the tobacco industry has a playbook which includes threats to individuals or organisations who challenge its profit-making ability is known. What we did not have was a systematic understanding of such industry intimidation. Nor the voices of researchers. Having that has opened a discussion on how to be better at countering industry intimidation and therefore be more resilient and effective in our work. Organisations involved in tobaco control or funding that work can play their part in supporting researchers.