Importance of transparency and honesty in public health and environmental issues

Society should be entirely grateful to The BMJ for its investigation into Medscape’s relationship with Philip Morris International.1 Tim McAfee called this partnership “the ultimate example of the fox not only signing up to guard the hen house but offering to sit on the eggs.”It has been 14 years since Richard Littlemore’s article “Living in denial: how corporations manufacture doubt” was published.2 Today, several industries, especially those whose products can be harmful to human health or the environment, continue to fund research studies, attempt to promote misinformation, and sow seeds of doubt to protect their interests. One new approach is funding programmes with various continuing medical education providers.Littlemore emphasised the use of doubt as a strategy among companies such as the tobacco and fossil fuel industries.2 This tactic has long been highly effective in creating confusion and indecision among populations, leading them to either not take action or minimise the…
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