Clinic demonstrations, podcasts, and TV shows: Hristio Boytchev reveals how an ambitious deal between a leading medical education provider and the tobacco industry collapsed this week
The medical education provider Medscape has bowed to pressure and agreed to permanently remove a series of accredited medical education courses on smoking cessation funded by the tobacco industry giant Philip Morris International (PMI), The BMJ and The Examination have found. Medscape has acknowledged its “misjudgment” in a letter to complainants and says that it will not accept funding from any organisation affiliated with the tobacco industry in the future.
The move comes after a BMJ investigation revealed the PMI deal and widespread protests among doctors and academics in reaction to the partnership. Critics had said that the content tended to portray non-cigarette nicotine products as relatively harmless, therefore aligning with the commercial interests of PMI, which also sells e-cigarettes, nic
Slowly, slowly…
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Medscape removes education courses for doctors funded by tobacco giant
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The long term harms of alcohol are being minimised in industry funded education, find Madlen Davies and Hristio Boytchev
Universities and schools are being urged to join a growing movement in Ireland and the UK that seeks to drive out the alcohol industry from any influence on public health advice on drinking.
A campaign in Ireland has led to educational programmes funded by the alcohol industry being removed from schools.1 But industry backed groups still provide alcohol education in UK schools, including a theatre group funded by drinks giant Diageo. Universities are also targeted: Drinkaware, a charity funded by major alcohol producers and retailers, venues, and restaurant groups, funds freshers’ education materials, including a free cup to measure alcohol units.
The public health community is calling for an Ireland-style ban on materials by industry associated charities because they normalise drinking, are poorly evaluated, and take up space that otherwise could be filled by