BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES: The tobacco industry continues to employ deceptive tactics across Southeast Asia, including disseminating misinformation, targeting youth, and disguising lobbying as corporate social responsibility (CSR). However, governments and the public often lack timely access to data to counter these activities. Limited resources, fragmented networks, and insufficient buy-in from policymakers have hampered monitoring and denormalization efforts. In response, SEATCA launched an integrated approach combining monitoring, reporting, and targeted social media campaigns to expose and counter industry influence.
INTERVENTION OR RESPONSE: Key components:

1. Monitoring Activities: Tobacco industry activities were monitored in ten ASEAN countries. Data sources included government disclosures, advertisements, civil society reports, and mass media.
2. Denormalization Reports: Regularly published reports exposed trends in CSR initiatives, youth marketing, and lobbying, and highlighted interference in areas such as tobacco taxation and regulation of electronic smoking devices.
3. Social Media Campaigns: Campaigns under the hashtag #NoMoreTobacco and #MakeTobaccoHistory highlighted industry tactics, including youth marketing and misleading CSR initiatives.
4. Engagement with Policymakers: High-level briefings presented findings to policymakers, emphasizing the adoption of WHO FCTC Article 5.3.

RESULTS AND IMPACT:

• In Cambodia, actions resulted in litigation against tobacco companies, holding them accountable for violations of the law. In Lao PDR, advocacy contributed to the government’s decision to not renew its Investment License Agreement with the industry. In Vietnam, persistent efforts resulted in a ban on electronic smoking devices.
• Social media campaigns boosted public awareness, with significant impressions and engagement in social media platforms.
• The initiative strengthened partnerships within civil society organizations ensuring widespread dissemination of findings.

CONCLUSIONS: Integrated campaigns are essential to counter tobacco industry tactics. By combining data-driven reporting, targeted social media strategies, and direct engagement with policymakers, this initiative effectively exposed and disrupted industry influence in the ASEAN region. Future efforts should expand monitoring, build civil society capacity, and leverage regional partnerships to sustain denormalization initiatives.