TOBACCO
News: Tobacco and the 2008 Election In this report, Corporations and Health Watch reviews the major tobacco issues that the next President will face and analyzes the positions of Senators Obama and McCain on these subjects.
Featured Campaign: The Public Health Advocacy Institute: The use of legal action to bring about changes in public health policy Corporations and Health Watch examines how The Public Health Advocacy Institute uses the law and other tools in local, national and global efforts to curb the adverse health impact of these industries.
Featured Campaign: Corporate Accountability International: Global Action for Changing Corporate Practices Corporations and Health Watch examines Corporate Accountability International's work as an example of how advocates can challenge corporate practices to achieve public health and social justice victories.
Featured Interview: Public Health Advocacy on Tobacco and Guns Down Under and Beyond – An Interview with Simon Chapman [pdf] Corporations and Health speaks with Simon Chapman, Professor of Public Health at the University of Sydney in Australia.
Featured Article: Campaign Profile: Licensed to Kill How a tobacco company that has been "licensed to kill" by the state of Virginia and an international tobacco control campaign work together to educate people about Big Tobacco.
Global Perspectives: Towards a Global Tobacco Control Agenda: The WHO’s Framework Convention for Tobacco Control Global dimensions of tobacco control activism.
Featured Interview: Interview with Rev. Jesse Brown [pdf], Founder and Executive Director of the National Association of African Americans for Positive Imagery (NAAAPI)
ALCOHOL
Research Profile: Alcopops: State by State Battle to End Corporate Tax Fraud Simon Rosen and Michele Simon from the Marin Institute describe how Alcopops, sweetened alcohol beverages, slip through a US corporate tax loophole, allowing the drinks to be marketed like beer. They call for the reclassification of alcopops as an alcohol spirit and provide an analysis of the potential health benefits of such a change.
Product Profile: Time to reclassify malt liquor and flavored malt beverages as a distilled spirit?
A review of the public health consequences of malt liquor, the history of targeted marketing for these beverages and the community responses to targeted marketing, and suggests some strategies for reducing malt's harm.
Global Perspectives: Public health vs. free trade: Sweden and European Union clash over alcohol policy This report explores how the European Union's trade rules have affected Sweden's ability to reduce the adverse health consequences of alcohol use and how trade liberalization can benefit the alcohol industry at the expense of public health.
Featured Interview: Alcohol and Food Advocacy: What’s the same? What’s different? – An interview with Michele Simon [pdf] Corporations and Health speaks with Michele Simon, Director of Research and Policy, Marin Institute.
Spotlight on Corporate Practices: The Alcohol Industry Anheuser-Busch Pulls “Spykes” Amid Criticism
Featured Campaign: Marin Institute Takes on Big Alcohol and Wins!
Featured Interview: Interview with George Hacker [pdf], Director of the Alcohol Policies Project, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)
FIREARMS
News: Where guns come from: Examining the role of industry in firearm availability In the flow of guns from manufacturer to consumer, regulations that prevent illegal gun sales are currently too weak to stem gun violence. Health advocates are looking to an Obama administration to boost regulatory practices. This CHW report looks at the firearm industry's role in making guns available and accessible.
Global Perspectives: The Global Trade in Small Arms: Slow motion weapons of mass destruction? The social, political, economic and health impact of the small arms trade, particularly on the global south.
Featured Campaign: Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition battles the NRA and other Gun Rights Groups Over Gun Control Legislation A coalition of 250 mayors from around the country, takes on the gun industry and works to reduce gun violence in American cities.
Featured Interview: Interview with John Johnson [pdf], Executive Director of the Campaign to Close the Newspaper Loophole
Spotlight on Corporate Practices: Courts and Congress limit rights of local government to control handguns
AUTOMOTIVE
Campaign Profile: EcoDriving USA This month CHW profiles EcoDriving, an auto industry campaign launched over the summer when driving prices were at their highest. Our report describes the campaign, analyzes the auto industry's motivation for launching it now and looks at the presidential candidates' stance on energy policy.
News: The Perils of Short-term Profiteering Corporations and Health Watch examines how the US auto industry's focus on SUV and large truck sales and its desire for short-term gain has led to plummeting profit margins and jeopardized the industry's future viability while condemning American consumers to unsafe and polluting vehicles.
Featured Interview: Interview with Lena Pons [pdf], Policy Analyst for Public Citizen's Auto Safety Group, on its efforts to improve fuel economy and its views on recent Federal and state legislation on emissions standards. Pons also analyzes the auto industry's response to increasing attention to the health and environmental effects of vehicle emissions.
Featured Campaign: Local, National and Global Action Against Motor Vehicle Pollution: Making healthy breathing a right Corporations and Health Watch explores the impact of vehicle exhaust on health, examines strategies used by advocates and policy makers at the local, national and global levels to fight for clean air, and chronicles recent efforts by the auto industry to stall and weaken House and Senate attempts to raise U.S. fuel efficiency standards.
Spotlight on Corporate Practices: Spotlight on Corporate Practices: What is the future for US auto industry?
Featured Campaign: Jumpstart Ford
Research Update: Auto Asthma Index A tool launched by The Environmental Working Group's [EWG] that allows consumers and public health advocates to compare the asthma-causing emissionsof automobiles by manufacturer, make, year and model.
FOOD
News: New Report on Promotion of Unhealthy Food: Reversing Obesity in New York City Read a four page summary… [pdf], or the full 28 page report… [pdf] An Action Plan for Reducing the Promotion and Accessibility of Unhealthy Food examines the role of the food industry in promoting unhealthy food and suggests policy directions for reducing its influence. The report was released by the City University of New York Campaign Against Diabetes and the Public Health Association of New York City.
Resources: Presentation on Policies to Reduce the Promotion and Accessibility of Unhealthy Foods Download the presentation… [pdf] In a presentation format suitable for use in college and community classes, nutritionist Lauren Dinour provides an overview of some of the approaches that policy makers and advocates are using to protect the public against promotion of unhealthy food.
Resources: Presentation on the Role of Infant Formula Industry in Discouraging Breastfeeding Download the presentation… [pdf] In this presentation, Deborah Kaplan describes the role of the infant formula industry in discouraging breastfeeding and promoting its own products. She also describes the health consequences of these actions.
Profile: Interview with Raj Patel Corporations and Health Watch speaks with Raj Patel, author of the new book Stuffed and Starved: Markets, Power and the Hidden Battle for the World Food System, on how corporate control of the world's food system influences public health and well being, government accountability and the need for democratic social change.
Profile: The Snack Food Association: Washington's Voice for Sugar, Fat and Salt In this profile, Corporations and Health Watch examines the health impact of snack food trade group lobbying efforts and legislative recommendations.
Profile: Chips and Chocolate: Competing Interests on Cornell's Campus This Corporations and Health Watch case study discusses the ongoing work by students and staff in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University to improve the healthfulness of vending machine food offerings.
Resources: Assessment of Food Industry Promises to Address Childhood Obesity
Resources: Food and Advertising Industries Revise Voluntary Guidelines on Advertising to Children Food and beverage companies and health advocates respond to advertising industry trade group's revised guidelines for advertising to children.
News: School Lunch and Food Prices This report examines how rising food and fuel prices are affecting the National School Lunch Program, how higher prices have a disproportionate effect on underfunded school districts and warns that in the face of funding cuts and higher costs, some schools are bringing back processed junk sold by private food and beverage companies.
News: Food Safety and Animal Welfare Join to Demand Change When downed cows were discovered to have been sent to slaughter and then to school food programs, food safety and animal welfare organizations created new alliances. What's the potential of these coalitions for changing harmful corporate practices?
News: Food and pharmaceutical industries win big in 2007 International Bad Products Awards
Featured Campaign: To Save Lives, Limit Salt In Processed Food Corporations and Health Watch explores the response of the salt industry to recommendations that companies lower salt levels in their products to combat high blood pressure.
Featured Campaign: Strategic Alliance: Tools for Shifting the Food Debate Upstream A look at Strategic Alliance's work to help local groups develop campaigns that target both public policies and corporate practices that contribute to unhealthy diets.
News: Senators and Activists Agree: No Soda in Schools
Featured Campaign: The Public Health Advocacy Institute: The use of legal action to bring about changes in public health policy Corporations and Health Watch examines how The Public Health Advocacy Institute uses the law and other tools in local, national and global efforts to curb the adverse health impact of these industries.
Global Perspectives: New Report Calls on United Kingdom to Tackle Obesity More Forcefully; Advocates Urge Action Now We review the October 2007 British government report "Tackling Obesities: Future Choices," explore the recommendations of the Children's Food Campaign in response to the report, and finally compare the current British and U.S. debates on the role of government and industry in addressing escalating rates of obesity.
Spotlight on Corporate Practices: McDonald's and Children's Health: The Production of New Customers Corporations and Health Watch explores McDonald's success in marketing to and creating brand loyalty among even the youngest of children.
Featured Interview: Interview with Richard Daynard In March 2006, the newsletter Informed Eating interviewed Richard Daynard, professor at Northeastern University School of Law.
Spotlight on Corporate Practices: Coke, PepsiCo, and McDonald’s Pledge Healthier Ads for Kids; Critics question impact
Global Perspectives: Free trade, the food industry and obesity: How changes in US- Mexico food trade contributed to an epidemic The impact of NAFTA on health and obesity in Mexico.
Featured Interview: Scientists, the Food Industry, and Heart Health: An Interview with Dr. Jeremiah Stamler [pdf] Corporations and Health speaks to Dr. Jeremiah Stamler, one of the founders of preventive cardiology.
Featured Campaign: The Big Apple Just Got Leaner — New York City Bans Trans Fats in Restaurants
Spotlight on Corporate Practices:Resources on Food
PHARMACEUTICAL
News: Fixing the FDA: Options for the Next President This report begins a Corporations and Health Watch series examining recent conflicts about the FDA, the positions of the Presidential candidates on the agency and options for 2009 and beyond. The focus of this first report is on the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry.
Featured Profile: BiDil, a Heart Failure Prescription for "Self-Identified Blacks" In this month's product profile, Corporations and Health Watch reviews the history of BiDil, a medication for congestive heart failure and the first "race-specific" pharmaceutical to be awarded federal approval.
Featured Profile: Do pharmaceutical marketing and pricing practices reduce compliance with cardiovascular medications? In this commentary, epidemiologist Nancy Sohler and her colleagues examine the impact of pharmaceutical marketing techniques such as providing free prescription drug samples on adherence to medical treatments for cardiovascular diseases in disadvantaged populations.
Featured Campaign: The Prescription Project: The problem of conflicts of interest between the pharmaceutical industry and prescribing physicians Corporations and Health Watch examines The Prescription Project's work to ensure that physician prescribing practices are based on accurate and unbiased information.
Global Perspectives: Update on Pharmaceutical Industry: New threats to Pharma’s public reputation. In this report, we highlight some recent reports that might explain the declining public perceptions of the pharmaceutical industry.
Featured Article: Big Pharma on the Big Screen: Pharmaceutical Promotion Goes Hollywood How the pharmaceutical industry promotes its products, sometimes at the expense of public health.
Global Perspectives: Two schoolgirls force GlaxoSmithKline to apologize for deceptive food advertising and to pay fine
Featured Interview: Interview with Lynda Dee [pdf], Drug Development Committee member and founder of the AIDS Treatment Activist Coalition (ATAC)
Resources Update: Windfall Medicare Profits for Drug Companies
GENERAL
Commentary: The Financial Crisis and Public Health: Hidden Opportunities for Prevention? CHW founder and director Nicholas Freudenberg examines how the current financial crisis may influence corporate health practices and asks whether the crisis may present the public health community with new opportunities to advance healthier policies and to restore a more just balance between markets and government.
Resources: New Reports on Food, Alcohol and Tobacco Marketing In the last few months, government and advocacy organizations have released new reports on the impact of tobacco marketing, inequities in how grocery chains serve low-income neighborhoods, and the alcohol industry's compliance with its own voluntary guidelines. To help readers keep up, we summarize some of this summer's publications and provide links to the full reports.
News: Restoring Scientific Integrity in Washington 2009 CHW covers the recent Washington conference, Rejuvenating Public Sector Science, where scientists, congress people, commissioners and others convened to address the need for scientific integrity in public policy development. This report covers the conference and takes a look at the presidential candidates' plans to restore science to the national policy process and re-establish guidelines for ethical science.
Resources: Tracking on Corporations and Health Featured are a few databases and websites useful for tracking local and national policy and the social responsibility performance of major corporations.
News: Fixing the FDA: Options for the Next President This report begins a Corporations and Health Watch series examining recent conflicts about the FDA, the positions of the Presidential candidates on the agency and options for 2009 and beyond. The focus of this first report is on the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry.
Resources: Internet activism and changing corporate practices In this report, Corporations and Health Watch reviews a selection of health advocacy efforts that make use of participatory media, such as blogs and action networks, to advance campaigns, distribute resources and change policies.
Resources: Corporate Research: The Basics This article offers guidelines and resources for public health advocates, policy makers and others interested in researching the many ways corporations influence population health. Crocodyl, an online collaborative project that provides profiles of global corporations, is featured.
Resources: Global Trade and Public Health
Commentary: The Impact of Corporate Practices on Health Inequities in the United States Corporations and Health Watch founder Nicholas Freudenberg highlights how the business decisions of tobacco, food, alcohol, and other industries influence the differential burden of disease by class and race/ethnicity.
Featured Interview: Interview with Stephen Thomas, Ph.D. [pdf] In this interview Dr. Thomas, director of the Center for Minority Health and a Philip Hallen Professor of Community Health and Social Justice in the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, discusses corporate practices as a social determinant of health and health disparities, and assesses the varying roles the tobacco, food and alcohol industries have played in Black communities.
Resources: Selected on corporate targeting and the impact of corporate practices on socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, gender and age inequities in health Corporations and Health Watch summarizes a few recent peer-reviewed studies that describe and analyze how corporations target selected populations for marketing of unhealthy products, assess the impact of these practices on differences in health behavior and health, and explore other ways that corporate decisions maintain or exacerbate health disparities.
News: Corporations, Health and the 2008 Presidential Election Part 3: Clinton, McCain, Obama and the Food Industry In Corporations and Health Watch's ongoing series on Campaign 2008, we examine the positions of the three main Presidential candidates on food issues and assess the role of the food industry in the campaign.
Featured Profile: Corporations and Campus Research More universities are accepting money from tobacco, energy, and food corporations to fund scientific research. What's the impact of this on the quality of the research, academic integrity and public trust in scientists?
News: Corporations, Health and the 2008 Presidential Election, Part 2: Clinton, Obama and McCain on the Role of Corporations How do Clinton, Obama and McCain differ in their views and votes on the role of corporations in our society? How will the next President interact with the automobile, pharmaceutical and other industries? In this report, CHW analyzes their prior statements and votes for clues.
News: Corporations, Health and the 2008 Presidential Election
Part 1: Following the Money Part one in a series that examines the 2008 Presidential election, we look at campaign contributions from Political Action Committees and individuals to the leading Republican and Democratic Presidential candidates.
Commentary: Beyond Changing Lifestyle Have you ever tried to convince someone that improving public health required more than simply changing individual behavior and lifestyle? To help make that case, social epidemiologist Sandro Galea argues for public health strategies that move beyond lifestyle to changing the social and political circumstances that influence behavioral choices.
Resources: Youth-Involved Street Survey of Health Messages in Urban Neighborhoods [pdf] Findings from a Corporations and Health Watch pilot study examine whether the proportion of health-enhancing and health damaging messages differed in Manhattan neighborhoods of different socioeconocmic characteristics.
Commentary: Books on Corporations and Health, 2007 To help readers sort through the many books published each year on the impact of corporate practices on health, Corporations and Health Watch presents an idiosyncratic list of 10 books published in 2007 (or early 2008) that address the relationships among corporations, markets, government and health.
Resources: New Resources on Global Trade and Public Health
Commentary: Teaching about Corporations and Health: Bringing Corporate Practices into Public Health Classrooms On how academic public health programs can introduce concepts, competencies and skills that will help students to identify and analyze corporate influences on health.
Featured Interview: Interview with Kathryn Montgomery [pdf], professor in the Public Communication division of the School of Communication at American University where she heads the University's Center for Social Media's "Youth, Media and Democracy" project.
Commentary: Voluntary Guidelines vs Public Oversight: Finding the right strategies to reduce harmful corporate practices
Spotlight on Corporate Practices: The Corporate Quest for Preemption of State Laws: Impact on public health
Spotlight on Corporate Practices:Public Health Advocacy to Change Corporate Practices: Implications for Health Education Practice and Research [pdf] An article published in Health Education and Behavior by Corporations and Health's Nicholas Freudenberg, DrPH
Spotlight on Corporate Practices: Corporate practices and health [pdf] An introduction to the topic by Nicholas Freudenberg, Hunter College, City University of New York, and Sandro Galea, University of Michigan School of Public Health
