Clearing the air: Conflicts of Interest and the Tobacco Industry's impact on Indigenous peoples

Publication and conference policies such as the Policy on the Tobacco Industry1 allow scientific societies and journals to accept publications and presentations that are funded in whole, or in part, by the Tobacco Industry and its affiliates. The argument is that, in these times of distrust and polarization of science, it is important to provide a forum for ‘good science’ and ‘open scientific debate’, along with disclosures concerning funding, for the full range of views. 2-4 However, Indigenous peoples are generally not comfortable with policies that give the Tobacco Industry, their affiliates and benefactors a seat at the table. Indigenous peoples continue to experience disproportionately high rates of commercial tobacco use and commercial tobacco-related death and disease. 5 There is an inevitable conflict between the interests of Indigenous peoples and those of the Tobacco Industry and its affiliates:6 for Indigenous peoples, our future lies in ridding ourselves of the physical, social and spiritual harms caused by commercial tobacco use and nicotine addiction.