It's Only Helpful If WE Get Paid For It

It seems Anna "say anything for a grant" Gilmore (that's her on the left) has taken to diversification of late.

Having just about squeezed UK and EU tobacco control budgets dry with her trademark 'torturing of statistics for hire' consultancy provision (motto: no job too small, no untruth too big), she is now offering her services as an expert in other areas.

The demonisation of alcohol companies, to be precise.

The recent issue of Bulletin of the World Health Organization carries a round table section: "Global Fund collusion with liquor giant is a clear conflict of interest. The First article is by Richard Matzopoulos, Charles DH Parry, Joanne Corrigall, Jonny Myers, Sue Goldstein and Leslie London. They describe how the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) has recently included SABMiller as a recipient of funding for an education intervention aimed at minimizing alcohol-related harm, including HIV prevention, among men in drinking establishments.

This is what most people call philanthropy, something which is positively encouraged, even lauded, in many spheres of business. But, as is customary, black is white for those in public health.

Anna B Gilmore and Gary Fooksa, two researchers familiar with conflict of interest issues from the tobacco field, say the Global Fund needs to address conflict of interest. They point to the apparent failure by both the Global Fund and the Government of South Africa to recognize and adequately address the potential conflict between corporate interests and public health goals.

For decades now, the public have been told that tobacco companies are evil because (tobacco haters claim) they denied the harms identified by anti-smokers, and refused to take part in any initiatives to minimise them.

Here we have a separate industry openly doing just that, yet it is still derided for doing so, using - it's difficult to deny - the same marginalisation of industry tool perfected by the tobacco control template.

Remember, though, that tobacco is unique and measures directed towards controlling it "will therefore not set a precedent for other consumer products".

Nope. Nothing for the drinks industry to be worried about. At all.