TY - JOUR T1 - The tobacco industry in Asia: revelations in the corporate documents JF - Tobacco Control JO - Tob Control SP - ii1 LP - ii3 DO - 10.1136/tc.2004.010082 VL - 13 IS - suppl 2 AU - J M Mackay Y1 - 2004/12/01 UR - http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/13/suppl_2/ii1.abstract N2 - Scholarship on tobacco industry documents has concentrated on the west. There have been two previous supplements on the documents published by Tobacco Control, which focused on the USA in 20021 and on Australia in 2003,2 as well as many individual papers. Hirschhorn has assembled a list of all publications that deal principally with the documents.3 This supplement contains the first collection of papers addressing Asian documents, which include diverse countries such as Cambodia, China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, with topics ranging from smuggling and subversion of proposed legislation to tobacco industry youth campaigns (see below). This is not just an issue of academic inclusion; these articles represent a rare resource enabling governments, health advocates, and the media to gain an unprecedented insight into the minds, motives, strategies, tactics, and data of the tobacco industry. Appreciation of tobacco industry strategies over the past decades is essential for Asian countries to formulate an appropriate legislative and public policy response.4 It might be argued that some of the information revealed could be classified as “normal business practices” in the marketing strategy of any company. However, the fundamental harmfulness of the product taken with the industry’s lobbying and public relations tactics makes these industry documents compelling. Obstacles to tobacco control in Asia that were once puzzling may now be understood. The industry infiltrated some of the most respected scientific institutions (such as universities), and scientists who argued against the scientific evidence on the damaging effects of tobacco are now known to have been paid to do so.5 These tactics of the industry have, in general, been highly successful. In spite of decades of knowledge, World Health Assembly resolutions, World Health Organization plans including five year Regional Action Plans for Asia since … ER -