RENDEZ-VOUS 74
Tuesday, August 8 2000
Nota: I met with Mike Daube, Chief Executive Officer of the Cancer Foundation of Western Australia, Subiaco, Western Australia, during the 11th world conference on Tobacco or Health in Chicago. A slightly different version of this interview was published in the daily journal of the conference (in the August 8th issue).
Thank you Mike for accepting our rendez-vous. May I ask you to introduce yourself?
I was the first Director of Action on Smoking and Health in the UK from 1973 to 1979. Then I worked with the University of Edinburgh until I left for Perth where I joined the Government of Western Australia in 1984.
I worked on tobacco control until 1989 then on other issues. I am now out of government and CEO of the Cancer Foundation of Western Australia. I am also adjunct professor with Curtin University.
Q1. How was tobacco control 27 years ago?
When I started with ASH, campaigning against tobacco was not
fashionable. I remember my first committee meeting for ASH with 6
eminent doctors : their idea of advocacy was writing a letter to the
editor of the Lancet. A few weeks later a prominent english journalist
told me, "you'll never find anything new to say about smoking". In
1973, establishing a tobacco control advocacy organization was brand
new : I organized the first surveys, the first meetings with deputies
at the Parliament, the first coalition.
Q2. Looking back to the 70s what would pick up as main milestones ?
The 3rd world conference in New York in 1975. Let us not forget
the huge role played by the American Cancer Society in support of
international cooperation in tobacco control. It is still true today.
In 1976, Nigel Gray started the tobacco control program within UICC.
That was a very important initiative and UICC is still a very strategic
player. During the 70s most of the Scandinavian countries enacted
tobacco legislation (Finland, Sweden, Norway) : they showed us it was
possible.
Q3. What is different nowadays and what did not change ?
In the 70s there was no consensus on the tobacco control policies and we were largely on our own, there was very little company. Now there is a vast international tobacco control community (as the number of participates show) and we know what has to be done. And we have the evidence to prove it. There are many things I know now that I wished I had known then : When I was denied a senior appointment within the british Department of Health I did not know that the then Health Minister would finally be appointed Deputy Chairman or BAT (Kenneth Clarke). I used to be frustrated with the decisions of the Chairman of a supposedly independent scientific committee set up by our government. When he retired he was hired as a consultant by the tobacco industry. There was a journalist with the Financial Times who was constantly writing stories favorable to the industry : he became head of the industry trade associationS
We recently learned about how the industry influenced and sabotaged the World Health Organization. We now have a very dynamic World Health Organization that pushes for tobacco control and that makes a big difference. Globally we have much more money although it is still far from enough and we have to make sure it is focused on the right priorities. Last but not least, litigation has put the issues on the front page and many industry dirty secrets are out with more coming . . .
As far as what has not changed : Mortality is still rising. The
industry can still buy almost anybody they need/want to. Most medical
and health organizations are still at best passive supporters.
Q4. How do you assess the industry ?
On one hand I think the industry people are now of lesser caliber because I don't think the most intelligent professionals want to go and work for an industry with such a terrible record.
On the other hand the people who are still working for this
industry despite all that is now common knowledge are probably tougher
and nastier. This is just the prelude, the fight in the next ten years
will get tougher and nastier so we really have to get our act together.
Q5. What do you see as priorities for the tobacco control community ?
As much as possible we need to achieve consensus. We have to
become as tough as the industry or they'll knock us out. We have to use
our resources properly, make sure they are properly focused.
Q6. Is there anything else you would like to add ?
We need to build a new generation of advocates who will know what we did not and continue the fight. We are lucky to have a growing international activism led by WHO and UICC.
Let us not forget campaigning is fun.
Thank you Mike for taking the time to be with us today.
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