Anne Landman's Collection
Sawp Report to Icosi Executive Committee on Background Issues, Conclusions and Recommended Plan for Countermeasure Development Efforts by Sawp.
Fields
- Author
- Sawp
- Named Person
- Icosi
- Philip Morris
- Sosas
- Hind
- Needham
- Berman
- Jacob
- Sawp
- Secretary General
- Eec
- Natl Trade Assns
- Type
- DRAFT
- REPORT
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SAWP Report to ICOSI Executive Committee
On
Background Issues, Conclusions and Recommended Plan
For Countermeasure Development Efforts By SAWP
INTRODUCTION
Draft for Review
b~SAW~at Marc
russe sMeet ng
At their Amsterdam meeting, ICOSI's executive committee requested SAWP to plan
for the development of social acceptability countermeasures that could be used
by national trade associations. SAWP also was authorized to consider possible
use of consultants, and SAWP was requested to submit a countermeasure develop-
ment program for ICOSI's approval and authorization to proceed.
This report meets ICOSI's initial requests.
To produce this report, SAWP first had to reach agreement on vital background
issues. Much of this report summarizes SAWP's position on the vital issues.
Also included in the report is a summary of SAWP's recommendations plus a pro-
posed action timetable.
SAWP seeks the concurrence of ICOSI's executive committee with this report before
SAWP proceeds with the proposed countermeasure development program.
SAWP adopted this report and authorized its transmittal at their March meeting in
Brussels. It is being sent to the executive committee for review and concurrence
before the end of April. The timing of approval is critical because SAWP hopes
to discuss the recommendations and timetable with national trade associations at
the late May meeting in Zurich.
SAWP is prepared to proceed with executing this program as soon as ICOSI's execu-
tive committee gives approval. Hopefully, this approval will be forthcoming soon.
BACKGROUND ISSUES THAT SAWP HAS RESOLVED
Background Issue #1: SAWP's 1979 Workload
In the second "cluster of decisions" approved by the executive committee at Amsterdam,
SAWP spelled out their 1979 action plans in detail. This represented a full work-
load for SAWP. Now the executive committee has requested additional work from SAWP
during 1979.
After considering all their plans and the new requests, SAWP concludes that counter-
measure development work can get underway in 1979 provided the executive committee
concurs in SAWP's recommendations below. However, initial results will not be forth-
coming until early 1980.
To start the countermeasure development program in 1979, SAWP recommends that:
1) the SAWP group be expanded to recruit additional company manpower;
2) consultants be used;
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3) trade association participation be included in the development process;
4) the staff of the Secretariat, particularly the second-ranking person
in the Secretariat be deeply involved in the project;
5) SAWP be authorized to hold a "countermeasures clinic" after the May
meeting of the trade associations.
Note: It would be best to hold the "clinic" prior to the executive
committee in September, but considering summer schedules, it
seems likely that the "countermeasures clinic" involving company
representatives from SAWP, ICOSI's Secretariat, selected trade
associations, and consultants will not take place until October.
Background Issue #2: Management of Consultants and Other Outside Resources
As indicated above, ICOSI has authorized SAWP to consider using outside resources
in the countermeasure development program. SAWP feels that such resources will
be critical.
SAWP has found by experience that the key factor in using outside consultant assistance
is strong management by a member of SAWP. For the countermeasure development work,
we must have the same level of high professional leadership like Hind and Needham
provided to the international opinion study (carried out with consultants) and like
Berman and Jacob are providing to the social costs/social values study (which also
involves consultants).
After considering these factors, SAWP concludes that it will be necessary to add a
new member to specifically manage the outside resources.
Philip Morris has offered to make such a person available and SAWP recommends that
Philip Morris' offer be accepted.
Background Issue #3: Area of Concentration for New Countermeasure Development
As has been previously discussed in earlier SAWP reports, social acceptability issues
against the industry arise in three major thrusts. These are:
1) the courtesy/annoyance thrust;
2) the public (passive) smoking thrust;
3) the social costs/social values thrust.
Because Berman is heading a major countermeasure development effort in social costs/
social values, SAWP first concludes that any new countermeasures to be developed
should not duplicate Berman's efforts. New developments should focus either on the
courtesy/annoyance thrust or the public smoking (passive smoking) thrust.
Further discussions flowing from this conclusion lead to SAWP's recommending that
their efforts in new countermeasure development focus on the public smoking (passive
smoking) thrust of social acceptability.
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Background Issue #4: The High Expense Involved in Countermeasure Development
The SOSAS experience in the USA, the expenditures for ICOSI's international opinion
survey, and the budget for the social costs/social values effort indicate that
countermeasure development involves relatively heavy expenditures.
In order to most effectively control these expenses, SAWP has concluded that its
work on public smoking countermeasures should stick to those themes which seem to
have the most universal application from country to country.
Also, SAWP has concluded that its countermeasure development work should be carried
out in stages. Finally, SAWP has concluded that its new countermeasure development
should draw extensively on existing countermeasure experiences and recent counter-
measure studies.
With regard to expense, SAWP recommends that ICOSI authorize expenditures during
1979 of $60,000. These expenses would cover the costs of interviewing, recruiting
and developing exploratory proposals from appropriate consultants. This expense
would also cover the cost of the "countermeasures clinic."
Following the explorations and the holding of the "clinic," SAWP would be prepared
in early 1980 to come to ICOSI with budget requests covering the remainder of the
funds needed for countermeasure development work in the public smoking area.
Background Issue #5: Relationshi s Between SAWP Countermeasure Develo ment and
ra e ssoci a t i o n s
Trade associations are the keys to implementing countermeasures. The ultimate
effectiveness of countermeasures depends on their being effectively executed by
trade associations.
SAWP has concluded that countermeasure development should be a cooperative effort
involving trade association representatives to give SAWP and its consultants a
feel for the "market" plus a sense of trade association capabilities and constraints.
SAWP recommends that the May trade association meeting and the subsequent autumn
"countermeasures clinic" clarify trade association perceptions of countermeasure
needs and potentials plus familiarize trade associations with the types of counter-
measures that have proven most effective in various settings around the world.
SAWP also recommends that each ICOSI member company keep its management around the
world thoroughly informed of the potentials, plans, status and accomplishments of
the countermeasure development program. This will help insure that the "governing
boards" of associations will give support to the staff members of associations who
are involved in countermeasure development efforts.
Background Issue #6: Relationships Between SAWP Countermeasure Development and
the ICOSI Secretariat
In the proposed countermeasure development effort, SAWP perceives its role as being
that of research development and "marketing" of concepts to the trade associations
who will implement the countermeasures. There is also an important role for ICOSI's

Secretariat. The Secretariat will monitor implementation and serve as the inter-
change of trade association experience. Also, there is also an especially important
role for the Secretariat to play in distributing countermeasure concepts worldwide.
SAWP recommends that its full-scale countermeasure development not get underway unless
and until the Secretary-General is in full agreement and also unless and until the
#2 person in the Secretariat can play an active role in the proposed countermeasure
development effort that SAWP envisions.
Background Issue #7: Relationships Between SAWP Countermeasure Development and
Existing Countermeasure Efforts by Companies and Trade
Associations
As has been indicated, an important step in the process of new countermeasure develop-
ment is knowing the state of the art of countermeasures on a country-by-country basis.
SAWP must start with an appreciation of the work that has been done and its value.
SAWP must learn from previous experience and avoid "reinventing the wheel."
SAWP recommends that the first step in its countermeasure development effort be a
country-by-country assessment of countermeasures.
A questionnaire has been prepared (copy attached). SAWP will have this questionnaire
filled out for each of the nine SAWP core countries. The results of this counter-
measure assessment will be presented at the May trade association meeting.
Background Issue #8: General Types of Countermeasures to be Developed
This is the issue that has involved the most intensive discussion by SAWP membership.
As has been indicated, SAWP has concluded that its work should concentrate in the
area of public smoking. It is also concluded that the countermeasures must be
effective ones that can be used effectively by trade associations.
Here it is important to note that not all industries need countermeasures. Many
businesses simply have to concern themselves with traditional business functions of
product development, production, quality control, marketing, etc.
However, around the world, there are individuals, governments and other public groups
who have put great pressure on the tobacco industry. The industry (and in some
instances, companies within the industry) must undertake steps to nullify or weaken
the thrusts that are being made against the industry on social acceptability issues.
These thrusts against the industry in the area of public smoking include attempts to:
1) restrict or ban smoking;
2) intimidate smokers into not smoking because of social pressures;
3) arouse general public sentiment against smoking;
4) limit the ability of the industry to competitively market their products.

Experience has shown that countermeasures in the field of public smoking can be
carried out directly by trade associations or companies or through third parties
or, in some instances, with no specific source being identified in the broad area
of standard public relations practices and techniques. Usually, however, trade
associations are the preferred vehicle.
The most effective countermeasures are proactive. Those are attempts to head off
adverse measures before they can be fully developed. However, most countermeasures
are carried out on a tailor-made fashion to react to specific situations. It is
important that countermeasures be tailor-made because approaching the U.S. Congress,
for example, is quite different from approaching the E.E.C. Yet, SAWP believes
that there are some basic principles for these countermeasure approaches. 'SAWP's
work will attempt to focus on these basic principles.
Additionally, the possibilities for countermeasures in different countries are
constrained by different sets of national laws, regulations and customs. This
is why the involvement of trade associations is so important.
At all times, the most effective countermeasures use the most appropriate mode
of individual or group persuasion, but all effective countermeasures have a firm
basis in fact and science.
Finally, it is obvious that countermeasures should not be launched in such a fashion
so as to raise more pressures than they solve.
For a number of reasons including their basic charter from ICOSI, SAWP will not
concern itself with the "courtroom" countermeasures industry lawyers use in courts
or other judicial situations when dealing with public smoking issues.
Based on the above considerations and knowledge of countermeasures undertaken to
date by companies and associations, SAW recognizes five basic functional types
of countermeasures. Sometimes a countermeasure can serve more than one function,
but SAWP believes that each countermeasure effort can be logically classified as
falling mainly into one of the following five basic functional types. These are:
1) legislative casework countermeasures
2) regulatory casework countermeasures
3) constituency and coalition countermeasures
4) electoral campaign countermeasures
5) public climate countermeasures
Looking more closely at each of these five types of countermeasures, SAWP has
developed the following brief summaries for each of the five basic types of
countermeasures:

Basic Countermeasure Type #1: Legislative Casework Countermeasures
A. Brief Description
This most traditional type of countermeasure is carried out on a case-by-case
basis as specific pieces of legislation are considered by lawmaking groups.
Countermeasures here take the form of lobbying.
B. Objectives and Targets
In this type of countermeasure, the typical objectives are to block, nullify,
modify or delay pending legislation. In some more sophisticated situations,
the industry takes initiative to have existing legislation, particularly tax
legislation, repealed or amended in favor of the industry. The target groups
for this type of countermeasure are legislators and their staffs plus the
lobbyists of other industries who might be converted into temporary allies
for the industry's efforts.
C. Techniques Employed In This Countermeasure Type
This type of countermeasure uses all of the tools in the kit of the lobbyist,
e.g. testimony, position papers, constituency letters and contacts, plus the
most basic tool of face-to-face discussion between industry representatives
and legislators.
Basic Countermeasure Type #2: Regulatory Casework Countermeasures
A. Brief Description
The industry also amassed considerable experience with this second type of
countermeasure. It closely resembles the legislative casework type. It also
typically proceeds on a case-by-case basis. It is put into plan when regu-
latory groups translate laws into rules and regulations to make the laws
operational and also when the regulators enforce the rules and regulations.
B. Objectives and Targets
In this countermeasure type, the basic objectives are to make certain that the
letter and spirit of the legislation is preserved both in rule making and in
enforcement.
The industry faces many pressures from regulators and from so-called public
interest groups whose personal views, prejudices and ambitions often lead
them to propose rules, regulations or enforcement procedures that do not
reflect legislative intent. The targets for this type of countermeasure
are key bureaucrats and their staffs.
C. Techniques Employed In This Countermeasure Type
Regulatory casework uses techniques that are similar to those employed in
legislative lobbying. Additionally, in this type countermeasure, the industry
sometimes encourages legislative oversight and review of regulatory decisions
in the bureaucracy.

Basic Countermeasure Type #3: Constituency and Coalition Countermeasures
A. Brief Description
This type of countermeasure is undertaken to educate, mobilize and motivate
smokers and the "tobacco family" to stand up and speak out for the industry
on public issues. Countermeasures of this type are becoming more important
as the industry, its customers, and its employees come under increasing social
pressures.
B. Objectives and Targets
The basic objective is to generate effective volunteer advocates who will work
at the grassroots level to resist social acceptability challenges to smokers
and smoking. This requires making certain that the industry's constituencies
and allies have a full understanding of the issues and a capability to see
through false accusations made by industry opponents. The key targets in
these countermeasure efforts are the "natural" constituencies of the industry
such as employees of the tobacco companies, shareholders, plus similar groups
from other industries that sell products or services to the tobacco companies.
C. Technigues,Employed In This Countermeasure Type
Working with themes of economic self-interest, heritage pride and resisting
government intervention, the efforts in this type of countermeasure essentially
utilize political organization techniques plus issue advertising. Channels of
employee communication and education are also important methods.
Basic Countermeasure Type #4: Electoral Campaign Countermeasures
A. Brief Description
This type of countermeasure is relatively new to the industry. It apparently
will become more important in the days ahead as more and more public elections
are held on tobacco issues. Countermeasures of this type are intensive, rela-
tively high-cost efforts that extend over a few months.
ects
B. Objectives and Targets
The objective in this type of countermeasure is the very clearcut one of
winning on a specific election day. The target is the voting public.
C. Techniques Employed In This Countermeasure Type
This type of countermeasure can utilize methods of electioneering and issue
political campaigning. These range widely from the very sophisticated to the
mundane.

Basic Countermeasure Type #5: Public Climate Countermeasures
A. Brief Description
This type of countermeasure is likely to become more important in future
years because the industry finds itself facing an increasingly hostile
climate of general public opinion. To date, the industry has not spoken
very much to the general public about smoking issues. However, even the
best legislative, regulatory, constituency and electoral campaign efforts
can ultimately be doomed to failure if public opinion builds up more and
more pressures on the industry's traditional legislative and regulatory
"safety valves."
B. Objectives and Targets
In this countermeasure type, some key objectives are to convince the general
public that:
1) other people's smoking is not hazardous to their health;
2) smoking is a matter of a choice;
3) smoking problems are best handled by voluntary private action, not
public decrees;
4) smokers are constructive members of society;
5) it is the zealotry of anti-smokers that is at the root of any social
problems of smoking.
The targets in this area are the segments of the general public who are smokers
and nonsmokers but not the anti-smokers. Experience has shown that there is
little to be hoped for in directing these programs at anti-smokers.
C. Techniques Employed In This Countermeasure Type
This countermeasure type takes the form of getting the industry's positions on
issues into general news and entertainment media. In some instances, more
specialized media and techniques are used to reach leadership groups in society,
the so-called precursors who tend to mold public opinion. Specific methods
include paid advertising, appearance by industry spokesmen on media, "culti-
vated" editorials and news stories, press "happenings" and a host of other
conventional P.R. techniques.
In its countermeasure development program, SAWP has concluded that trade associations
should be presented with the opportunity of selecting from these five basic counter-,
measure types and concentrating on the ones that seem most appropriate to their needs
and capabilities.

RECAP OF SAWP RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Additional manpower, particularly a project manager, will be recruited for
SAWP to handle the unanticipated addition to SAWP's 1979 workload.
2. Consultants will be retained.
3. Representatives of some "ICOSI core-country" trade associations will be
involved in SAWP's countermeasure development process.
4. ICOSI's Secretary-General will be kept fully informed of SAWP actions and
the second-ranking person in the Secretariat will be directly and regularly
involved in the action.
5. Work will get underway in 1979 with at least partial commotion in 1980 (see
proposed timetable on page 10).
6. SAWP's new countermeasure development program for 1979-1980 will concentrate
on the public (passive) smoking thrust of social acceptability challenges.
7. Budget needs for 1979 are estimated at $60,000 for consultant research, planning,
and countermeasures "clinic". Budget estimates for 1980 and beyond will be
developed for ICOSI's approval and authorization.
8. If ICOSI's executive committee gives approval in April, SAWP will announce its
proposed countermeasure development at the May trade association meeting.
9. ICOSI member companies will make certain that their operating company managers
in various countries around the world are kept informed of SAWP's plans and
actions.
10. SAWP's development work will build on countermeasure experience to date starting
with a country-by-country countermeasure assessment survey. The results of this
survey will also be presented at the May trade association meeting. (See pp. 11
and 12 for survey form.)
11. SAWP plans development of all five basic types of public smoking countermeasures
in order to allow different associations to concentrate on the types of measures
that seem most appropriate for their needs and capabilities. The five basic
types are:
a) legislative casework countermeasures
b) regulatory casework countermeasures
c) constituency and coalition countermeasures
d) electoral campaign countermeasures
e) public climate countermeasures
12. Additionally, each national trade association can have detailed results of
ICOSI's international public opinion survey data to aid them in establishing
countermeasure priorities and implementing them.
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SAWP'S PROPOSED TIMETABLE FOR NEW COUNTERMEASURE DEVELOPMENT
IN THE AREA OF PUBLIC (PASSIVE) SMOKING
March 1979 SAWP approves report for transmittal to ICOSI
executive committee.
March-April 1979 SAWP conducts assessment survey of countermeasures
used to date.
April 1979 ICOSI executive committee approves SAWP report and
authorizes work to proceed with $60,000 budget for
1979 portion of work.
May 1979
SAWP recruits new member(s), one of whom will manage
project and consultants.
At Zurich trade association meeting:
a) SAWP presents results of countermeasure
assessment survey.
b) SAWP reviews plan for countermeasure develop-
ment program.
c) SAWP obtains 2 to 4 trade association volunteers
to participate in countermeasure development
program.
d) Date of "countermeasures clinic" will be set.
e) SAWP opinion survey data for each country are
offered to trade associations to aid them in
setting countermeasure priorities and imple-
menting them.
Summer 1979 #2 person from ICOSI Secretariat will join SAWP develop-
ment task force.
Consultants will be interviewed and key ones selected
for initial participation in "countermeasures clinic"
in October.
Plans for "clinic" will be finalized.
September 1979 SAWP will make progress report to ICOSI executive
committee (and governing board if desired).
October 1979 SAWP will hold "countermeasures clinic".
November and Based on summer work, reports to ICOSI, and results
December 1979 of "clinic", SAWP will pull together work plans, budgets
and timetables for 1980 portion of countermeasure develop-
ment program.
January 1980 " ICOSI acts on SAWP 1980 proposals.
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