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Welcome to TobaccoTactics

Share this on social media and follow us @BathTR We investigate the strategies and tactics the tobacco industry uses to undermine public health. Our rigorously-sourced profiles of the key players, organisations, allies and techniques of the tobacco industry make Tobacco Tactics a vital resource. Journalists, academics, policy-makers, advocates and researchers use our work because they value our evidence-based approach and accessible style. Want to stay one-step ahead of Big Tobacco? Stay in touch with Tobacco Tactics and stay informed with STOP (Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products) Interested in our comprehensive training in how to monitor and report on tobacco industry activity? We are inviting expressions of interest in our Tobacco industry Monitoring, Research and Accountability course for 2020. We are particularly interested to hear from participants in low and middle income countries. Read our latest research on these key topics EU Tobacco Products Directive | Leaked Tobacco Industry Documents | Lobby Groups | Next Generation Products | E-cigarettes | Heated Tobacco Products | Snus | Plain Packaging | Smuggling | Think Tanks | Third Party Techniques | Tobacco Companies Explore Tobacco Tactics and keep in contact You can search for a specific topic in the Search Bar on the left side of the screen. For tips on how to find what you are looking for, see our Help Page. For more information on TobaccoTactics and the Tobacco Control Research Group, see our About Us page. Follow us: | @BathTR | Contact Us | Mailing list: Opt in to receive information here | Feel free to contact us with appropriate requests and comments at tobacco-tacticsATbath.ac.uk What’s New in the Media A selection of the latest media articles covering tobacco control. You can also visit the latest publications by Tobacco Tactics academics. 7 February 2020 The ASH blog carries a first-person piece from Tobacco Tactic's Phil Chamberlain on attending the Imperial Brands AGM. 23 January 2020 Andy Rowell from Tobacco Tactics writes for The Conversation on whether social media platforms are up to stopping big tobacco using influencers on line. 21 November 2019 Expose on the global expansion of JUUL as it pushes governments to ditch e-cigarette regulations. Report from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism published in outlets around the world: JUUL spreads over the world as homemarket collapses in scandal 30 August 2019 Exploring how the industry has attempted to influence Track and Trace. Analysis by A. Gallagher, A.Gilmore and M.Eads published in Tobacco Control: Tracking and tracing the tobacco industry: potential tobacco industry influence over the EU’s system for tobacco traceability and security features 2 August 2019 The first academic analysis of the PMI life insurance company Reviti describes it as "a first-of-its-kind life insurance broker and promotional tool for iQOS". J.Prochaska and L.Henriksen, Tobacco Control. 30 July 2019 New research from Hiscock, Branston & Gilmore (University of Bath) and Partos, McNeill & Hitchman (King College London) in Tobacco Control looks at UK tobacco price changes which challenge industry concerns that higher taxes force smokers to buy illicit tobacco. 25 July 2019 A new database released by STOP (Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products) reveals dozens of groups from around the world aiding the tobacco industry in its considerable efforts to subvert public health policies. 13 June 2019 You can download a briefing document prepared by Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products (STOP) which analyses the 2018 tax return of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World.. 7 June 2019 Tess Legg and colleagues from the Bath Tobacco Control Research Group write in The Lancet on how The Philip Morris-funded Foundation for a Smoke-Free World's tax return sheds light on its funding activities. PR Week follows up on 12 June 2019 looking at the spend on public relations (paywall). 6 June 2019 Dr Rob Branston from the University of Bath and colleagues from Taipei Medical University explore how tobacco companies exploited a low tax system in Taiwan between 2011 and 2016, Tobacco Control 5 June 2019 R.Rorandelli and M.Murrmann, A photographer spent a decade documenting the tobacco industry's darkest corners, Mother Jones 31 May 2019 Pablo Linde,The countries that smoke the most, the least and how the industry tries to enter them:, Smoking has been slowing for a decade in developed countries, but companies are looking for tactics to expand, El Pais 31 May 2019 B.Matthes and M.Zatoński, Addressing the tobacco epidemic as a sustainable development priority: the need for cross-disciplinary thinking, University of Bath’s Centre for Development Studies blog 27 May 2019 J.Owino, Cigarette manufacturer BAT on the spot for tax avoidance, Capital Business 18 May 2019 T.Elliott, Big Tobaccos’ shadowy new play:, With health authorities stubbing out much of Big Tobacco’s business, and vaping on the rise, one of the industry’s biggest players says it plans to stop selling cigarettes. Is that just hot air?, Sydney Morning Herald 18 May 2019 J.Doward, Tobacco firms accused of using Formula One to flout ads ban on e-cigarettes:,Campaigners claim Philip Morris and British American Tobacco are using sponsorship deals with McLaren and Ferrari to plug products, The Observer 15 May 2019 J.Gornall, Big tobacco, the new politics, and the threat to public health, British Medical Journal 10 May 2019 M.Rowe, Dossier: Tobacco's big child labour problem, Geographical Tweets by @BathTR What's New on TobaccoTactics Some of our most recently updated pages 11 February 2020 Find out about these two Indian Trade Associations, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, with a track record in challenging tobacco control policies in India and internationally. 29 January 2020 Updated details on 18 industry allies from around the world, including Think Tanks ,Lobby Groups ,Front Groups, Trade Associations and others which are part of the tobacco industry’s tried and tested Third Party Techniques for undermining public health policies. See also an interactive map of the groups on the STOP website. 24 January 2020 New Country Profile on Ghana, providing insights on tobacco control efforts and highlighting the interference by the tobacco industry in the African country. 20 December 2019 The Advertising Standards Authority upholds two complaints about the marketing of Vype e-cigarettes by British American Tobacco in a case brought by STOP, the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and ASH. 25 November 2019 BAT, JTI and Imperial Tobacco are selling tobacco-free nicotine pouches. Read more on our updated page on Cigarette Companies Investing in Snus. 14 November 2019 New and updated pages on tobacco company interests in e-cigarettes. Read about the products, marketing strategies and lobbying tactics of British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International and Philip Morris International. 5 November 2019 Imperial Tobacco is going through significant leadership changes. Today the company announced a new Chairman, Thérèse Esperdy, who will take over from Mark Williamson effective 1 January 2020. 30 October 2019 New Country profile on Chile, exposing tobacco industry tactics in the South American country. 25 October 2019 New page examining the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT) which works with governments and regulators on combatting illicit trade and has extensive tobacco industry connections, echoing their arguments and agendas. 24 October 2019 Comprehensive analysis of the Eliminating Child Labour in Tobacco-Growing (ECLT) Foundation which says it is an independent organisation combatting child labour but is funded and governed by international tobacco companies. 7 October 2019 Imperial Tobacco recently purchased nearly 20% of cannabis company Auxly. Read more about it here: Next Generation Products: Imperial Tobacco. 25 September 2019 New page on Beverley Spencer-Obatoyinbo, Managing Director of British American Tobacco Kenya, and updates on industry interference in Kenya 24 September 2019 New page: JUUL Labs, an e-cigarette company part-owned by tobacco giant Altria. 23 September 2019 Tomorrow the annual industry conference, the Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum, will start in Washington. Find out who's speaking at the event here. 18 September 2019 Tobacco companies often use credible, respected third parties to be its voice. New example: PMI consultant Professor Robert Eccles. 19 August 2019 New page on Swiss Diplomats Lobbying for Philip Morris International (PMI), to undermine tobacco control legislation in Moldova. 02 August 2019 New profiles on Revolving Door cases in Pakistan and Indonesia. Find out more at Mueen Afzal, and Eddy Abdurrachman. 25 July 2019 Updated details on dozens of industry allies from across the globe from Think Tanks to Lobby Groups, Front Groups and others which are part of the tobacco industry’s tried and tested Third Party Techniques for undermining tobacco controls. 20 June 2019 Updated information on the Global Forum on Nicotine conference which took place in Warsaw. 7 June 2019 New information on the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, its funding, staff, proposed Centres of Excellence and contracts with various organisations including Ogilvy, Kantar and Mercury. 3 June 2019 New country profile on Zambia and updated information on Uganda 29 May 2019 Find out about the new UK Member of the European Parliament with a long track record in challenging tobacco controls 24 May 2019 New page: Futuro Sin Humo, a recently launched initiative by Philip Morris International in Mexico to promote their Heated Tobacco Products. 17 May 2019 Profile on Yusuf Abramjee, spokesperson for #TakeBacktheTax and his ties with the tobacco industry. 16 May 2019 Profile on the 'most prolific' academic writer on e-cigarettes Riccardo Polosa and his relationship with tobacco companies. 9 May 2019 New pages: analysis of tobacco industry links to the UK Vaping Industry Association and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Vaping (previously for E-Cigarettes), and how they co-operate. 2 May 2019 New page: A comprehensive look at the history of Motorsport Sponsorship by tobacco companies and current controversies Editorial Oversight TobaccoTactics is a project of the Tobacco Control Research Group at the Department for Health at the University of Bath and is overseen by managing editors Andrew Rowell and Phil Chamberlain. TobaccoTactics has a policy of Strict Referencing. Copyright © the University of Bath. Under a creative commons licence you are free to copy and redistribute the material for non commerical use. However, you must give appropriate credit to the University of Bath and acknowledge us as the copyright holder by stating: "This material is reproduced from www.TobaccoTactics.org. Copyright University of Bath and used under permission of the University of Bath. All rights reserved." Disclaimer. Some of the research for TobaccoTactics is funded by Cancer Research UK Limited and Bloomberg Philanthropies. This work has previously received funding from The New Venture Fund, Smokefree South West, and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Knowledge Exchange Opportinities scheme. These funders have had no input into the research reported on this website or its conclusions. They are not responsible for the content or the publication, nor do they necessarily endorse it. 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