Tobacco is a unique product that kills up to half of the people who continue to use it regularly. In recent years, a large amount of documentary and testimonial evidence has become available that the tobacco industry worldwide has long engaged in an internationally orchestrated process of funding researchers to produce scientifically compromised work with pre-determined outcomes that serve the tobacco industry's economic and political interests. The Tobacco Institute of Australia also sought repeatedly to influence the conduct and outcome of the National Health and Medical Research Council's most recent inquiry into the effects of health on passive smoking.
Similar policies are well-established internationally.
In view of the overwhelming body of evidence that both active and passive smoking of tobacco are injurious to health, the Governors would expect that individuals applying for or holding research funds from the tobacco industry will not seek support from the Trust. Tobacco smoking is the leading preventable cause of ill-health and premature death affecting the Australian community. The history of the tobacco industry in regard to extensive evidence of its treatment of scientific data and of scientific investigators merits the application and enforcement of sanctions against that industry and those in its service or supported by it. A distinction should be drawn, however, between individuals and entities directly concerned with tobacco and other sectors of multi-national conglomerates concerned with the manufacture, distribution, promotion and sale of other products and commodities. The Council of the PHAA will take all reasonable steps to ensure that, within three years, the National Health and Medical Research Council ceases to provide support of any kind to any individual or institution that receives any financial or other support or assistance from any tobacco company or individual or entity acting on behalf of the tobacco industry.