Corrigendum: Comparing Tobacco and Alcohol Policies From a Health Systems Perspective: The Cases of the Philippines and Singapore.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1605050.].

Comparing Tobacco and Alcohol Policies From a Health Systems Perspective: The Cases of the Philippines and Singapore.

Objective: To provide a comparative analysis of current tobacco and alcohol control laws and policies in the Philippines and Singapore Methods: We used a public health law framework that incorporates a systems approach using a scorecard to assess the progress of the Philippines and Singapore in tobacco and alcohol control according to SDG indicators, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the WHO Global Strategy to Reduce Harmful Use of Alcohol. We collected data from the scientific literature and government documents. Results: Despite health system differences, both the Philippines (73.5) and Singapore (86.5) scored high for tobacco control, but both countries received weak and moderate scores for alcohol control: the Philippines (34) and Singapore (52.5). Both countries have policy avenues to reinforce restrictions on marketing, improve corporate social responsibility programs, protect policies from the influence of the industry, and reinforce tobacco cessation and preventive measures against alcohol harms. Conclusion: Using a health system-based scorecard for policy surveillance in alcohol and tobacco control helped set policy benchmarks, showed the gaps and opportunities in these two countries, and identified avenues for strengthening current policies.

A Systematic Review of Tobacco Industry Tactics in Southeast Asia: Lessons for Other Low- And MiddleIncome Regions.

BACKGROUND: Transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) have a well-established presence in Southeast Asia and are now targeting other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), especially Africa. While the tobacco industry's tactics in Southeast Asia are well documented, no study has systematically reviewed these tactics to inform tobacco control policies and movements in Africa, where the tobacco epidemic is spreading. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature review of articles that describe tobacco industry tactics in Southeast Asia, which includes Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, East Timor, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Brunei. After screening 512 articles, we gathered and analysed data from 134 articles which met our final inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Tobacco transnationals gained dominance in Southeast Asian markets by positioning themselves as good corporate citizens with corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, promoting the industry as a pillar of, and partner for, economic growth. Tobacco transnationals also formed strategic sectoral alliances and reinforced their political ties to delay the implementation of regulations and lobby for weaker tobacco control. Where governments resisted the transnationals' attempts to enter a market, they used litigation and deceptive tactics including smuggling to pressure governments to open markets, and tarnished the reputation of public health organizations. The tobacco industry undermined tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) regulations through a broad range of direct and indirect marketing tactics. CONCLUSION: The experience of Southeast Asia with tobacco transnationals show that, beyond highlighting the public health benefits, underscoring the economic benefits of tobacco control might be a more compelling argument for governments in LMICs to prioritise tobacco control. Given the tobacco industry's widespread use of litigation, LMICs need more legal support and resources to counter industry litigations. LMICs should also prioritize measures to protect health policy from the vested interests of the tobacco industry, and to close regulatory loopholes in tobacco marketing restrictions.