907On 16 December 2025, at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center, Advocacy Center “Life” held a press conference titled “Tobacco Tactics in Ukraine: How the Tobacco Industry Obstructs Health Protection.”
During the event, the public was introduced to the updated information and thematic resource Tobacco Tactics, which aims to monitor and document the methods and forms of tobacco industry interference in public health policy protecting the population from the harms of tobacco and nicotine, identify key influence groups and inform politicians, journalists, experts, and the general public about identified facts.
The analytical information on the website is based on monitoring open sources, including media, meetings of working groups, publicly available information, and data from civil society and expert organizations.
“Public health is the cornerstone of restoring Ukraine’s human capital. The tobacco industry is an enemy of people’s health, preying on children and youth. As civil society, we systematically track tobacco industry interference in health policymaking and document their methods, influence groups, as well as the members of parliament and government officials involved”, emphasized Dmytro Kupyra, Program Director of the Advocacy Center “Life”.
Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), ratified by Ukraine in 2006, provides for the protection of public health policy development and implementation from the commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry. This principle has been implemented in national legislation, in particular through Law of Ukraine No. 2899-IV, which enshrines the priority of health protection over the commercial interests of tobacco companies and related entities.
Tobacco industry interference slows Ukraine’s movement toward the European Union.
Olha Lymar, Executive Director of the Reanimation Package of Reforms Coalition, notes: “Tobacco company interference comes at a high cost for Ukraine – not only in terms of public health, but also regarding international reputation and fulfillment of assumed obligations. Tobacco industry influence delays the alignment of Ukrainian legislation with EU law, particularly in the areas of excise taxation and combating illicit trade, and hinders the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control”.
Advocacy Center “Life”, in partnership with the NGO “Anti-Corruption Headquarter”, annually awards the anti-prize “Golden Scythe”, publicly “recognizing” members of parliament and government officials for promoting the commercial interests of the tobacco industry contrary to the interests of protecting public health. In addition, the interactive infographic “Tobacco Industry Connections” is updated annually, visually demonstrating potential links between tobacco companies, members of parliament, government officials, and influence groups.
“Since September, Ukraine has launched a Transparency Register aimed at ensuring openness of lobbying influence on decision-making processes. Tobacco companies and industry associations occupy a prominent place in it, as their activities are focused on influencing policies related to the production, distribution, taxation, and advertising of tobacco and nicotine products. Lobbying activities existed before as well, and what we see now is only the tip of the iceberg of tobacco industry interference in public policy”, said Serhii Mytkalyk, Chair of the Board of the NGO “Anti-Corruption Headquarter”.
Tobacco industry interference in policymaking poses a direct threat to the rule of law.
Bohdan Kashanyk, lawyer at the Center of Democracy and Rule of Law, emphasizes: “The WHO clearly defines such practices as incompatible with good governance in the field of health. Protecting public health policies from tobacco industry influence is not only a requirement of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, but also a fundamental characteristic of a lawful, democratic, and people-centered state”.
Tobacco industry interference leads to budget shortfalls and significant expenditures to address the burden of disease. Each year, Ukraine loses 3.2% of GDP due to the costs of treating the consequences of active and passive smoking, loss of productivity, and premature deaths.
“In wartime, one effective way to replenish the budget is the taxation of harmful goods such as tobacco products and alcohol. That is why excise taxes on such products must increase—to support the budget and protect citizens’ health – while law enforcement agencies effectively counter illegal trade. However, the tobacco industry systematically promotes preferences in its own interests, such as a 25% excise discount for heated tobacco products (HTPs). Initiatives to stimulate tobacco cultivation in Ukraine are also being lobbied, which directly contradicts the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which calls for the development of alternative, economically viable livelihoods”, stressed Illia Neshchodovskyi, Head of the Analytical Department of the ANTS Network.
In view of this, the state and society must act together to protect public health policies. The media play an important role in this process by exposing wrongdoing, abuse of power, and informing the public.
“Resources such as Tobacco Tactics, Industry Connections, and the Golden Scythe anti-prize are high-quality tools for journalists studying the topic, as well as for voters who have the right to know which politicians acted in the commercial interests of the tobacco industry at the expense of public health, especially that of children”, notes Natalka Sokolenko, blogger and radio host at Ukrainian Radio.
Each year, approximately 100 000 Ukrainians die from diseases caused by tobacco use. As it loses current consumers, the tobacco industry deliberately recruits children and youth into nicotine addiction. As a result, the prevalence of new tobacco and nicotine product use among children is several times higher than among adults.
One of the first publications on the updated Tobacco Tactics resource was an analysis of the consideration of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. Despite claims about illicit trade, the tobacco industry avoids supporting the Protocol as a key international instrument to counter illegal trade. International data show that the share of the tobacco industry in supplying illicit products may reach 60–70%.
Limiting tobacco industry interference in public health policymaking is a necessary condition for overcoming the tobacco and nicotine use epidemic, particularly among children.
Photos: Ukraine Crisis Media Center
Contact person:
Olha Masna, Media Coordinator, Advocacy Center “Life”
Phone: +380 73 089 65 70
Email: olha.masna@center-life.org