13/02/2026
🚭 Myth vs Fact starts now.
🚬 Claim: The to***co industry is a “partner” in fighting illicit trade.
📉 Evidence says otherwise.
- To***co companies frequently position themselves as allies to governments. They fund groups while downplaying documented industry involvement in smuggling networks.
- Major to***co companies have worked to undermine the WHO FCTC and the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in To***co Products, promoting voluntary measures instead of binding regulatory systems.
📛Illicit trade thrives in weak regulatory environments. Self-regulation is not a solution.
🚭 Effective to***co control requires independence from the industry it regulates.
https://fctc.who.int/resources/publications/i/item/debunking-to***co-industry-misinformation