Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Seebohm Rowntree Building, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia.
Global Health. 2022 May 21;18(1):52. doi: 10.1186/s12992-022-00843-3.
The Miller Brewing Company (MBC) was wholly owned by Phillip Morris (PM), between 1970 and 2002. Tobacco industry document studies identify alliances between the alcohol and tobacco industries to counter U.S. policies in the 1980s and 1990s. This investigation sought to study in-depth inter-relationships between MBC and PM, with a particular focus on alcohol policy issues. We used the Truth Tobacco Industry Documents library to trace the evolution of corporate affairs and related alcohol policy orientated functions within and between MBC and PM.
MBC was structured and led by PM senior executives from soon after takeover in 1970. Corporate Affairs sought to influence public perceptions of alcohol to align them with business interests. Alcohol education was specifically designed to prevent the adoption of policies inimical to those interests (e.g., raising excise taxes). Strategic consideration of alcohol policy issues was integrated within company-wide thinking, which sought to apply lessons from tobacco to alcohol and vice versa. PM directly led key alcohol industry organisations nationally and globally, which have successfully delayed the adoption and implementation of known effective policy measures in the U.S. and worldwide.
PM has been a key architect of alcohol industry political strategies. This study builds on earlier work on alcohol companies in the tobacco documents, and offers historical data on how tobacco companies have used commercial involvements in other sectors to influence wider public health policy. We are only beginning to appreciate how multi-sectoral companies internally develop political strategies across product categories. Global health and national governmental policy-making needs to be better protected from business interests that fundamentally conflict with public health goals.
1970 年至 2002 年期间，米勒酿造公司（MBC）完全归菲利普莫里斯（PM）所有。烟草行业文献研究表明，酒精和烟草行业之间存在联盟，以对抗 20 世纪 80 年代和 90 年代的美国政策。本研究旨在深入研究 MBC 和 PM 之间的相互关系，特别是关注酒精政策问题。我们使用真相烟草行业文档库来追溯公司事务的演变以及 MBC 和 PM 内部和之间与酒精政策相关的职能。
自 1970 年收购后不久，PM 的高级管理人员就对 MBC 进行了结构和领导。企业事务部试图影响公众对酒精的看法，使其与商业利益保持一致。专门设计了酒精教育，以防止采取不利于这些利益的政策（例如，提高消费税）。在公司范围内的思考中，对酒精政策问题进行了战略性考虑，试图将从烟草学到的经验应用于酒精，并反之亦然。PM 直接领导了全国和全球的主要酒精行业组织，这些组织成功地推迟了在美国和全球范围内采用和实施已知有效的政策措施。
PM 一直是酒精行业政治策略的关键设计者。本研究建立在烟草文件中关于酒精公司的早期工作基础上，提供了有关烟草公司如何利用在其他部门的商业参与来影响更广泛的公共卫生政策的历史数据。我们才刚刚开始了解多部门公司如何在产品类别内部制定政治策略。全球卫生和国家政府决策需要更好地保护免受与公共卫生目标根本冲突的商业利益的影响。
