Articles

Background Christopher Snowdon is a writer and journalist who holds a history degree. When Snowdon first launched his blog Velvet Glove, Iron Fist in 2008, he referred to himself as “an independent researcher and author” with “no affiliation or financial ties with the tobacco industry or any anti-smoking group”1 This statement was removed from his website in about 2010.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris is the founder of pro-smoking campaign group Forest.55 According to a confidential industry document, Foxley-Norris wrote to British American Tobacco in 1978 seeking a paid position running a consumers’ association for smokers. At a meeting, BAT staff told him that “the industry had been giving possible through to the possible…

Christine Morin-Postel was on the Board of British American Tobacco (BAT) from 2007 to 2016.57 She retired from the Board on 6 December 2016.58 Career with British American Tobacco Morin-Postel was appointed to BAT’s Board as a Non-Executive Director in October 2007, and as a Senior Independent Director in April 2013.57 She retired as…

Background The Republic of Chile is a high-income country, according to the World Bank classifications59, situated along the western seaboard of South America which shares borders with Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. Chile is a representative democratic republic, which major political parties include the political coalition ‘Chile Vamos’ composed by four centre-right parties and the Partido Socialista de Chile.60…

Chatham House, or the Royal Institute of International Affairs, describes itself an “independent policy institute” and is based in London.98 According to the website, its “mission is to help governments and societies build a sustainably secure, prosperous and just world”.9899 The think tank has history of involvement with various corporate members, including British American Tobacco…

The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) is a U.K.-based free-market think tank which has been active since 1974, and has opposed tobacco control legislation. CPS does not reveal its funding, but tobacco industry documents show that it has accepted multiple donations from the tobacco industry in the past. Pro-Tobacco Activities Letters to the Daily Telegraph and the Irish Times In…

The Centre for European Reform (CER) is a London-based think tank ‘devoted to making the European Union work better and strengthening its role in the world’.146 It was a member of the Stockholm Network of free market think tanks until 2009. Funded by BAT In 2000, the Centre received a donation of £10,000 from British American Tobacco.

Background In the late 1980s, the tobacco industry was under pressure to respond to growing concerns about second-hand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Using a classic PR diversionary tactic, it decided to set up an organisation that would instead look at “indoor air quality” rather than ETS. The Center for Indoor Air Research was initially formed and funded by…

Cecilia Kindstrand is Director Public Affairs for Swedish Match at the company’s EU Representation office in Brussels.157 Lobbying EU Officials on Tobacco Products Directive Revision (TPD) Between 2009 and 2014 the EU reviewed its Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) which included the ban on snus sales. During this period, Swedish Match lobbied to have the snus ban…

Aaron Sherinian was appointed Vice President Global Communications Transformation at Philip Morris International (PMI) in September 2018.166 He also publishes a personal blog called ‘Global Extrovert’, where he describes himself as a “…Global PR relations guy” who loves “…the challenges that a new world of communications means for those of us who work across borders and…