News

British American Tobacco (BAT) has reduced its shareholding in ITC Limited – formerly India Tobacco Company Limited, the cigarette market leader in India. As of March 2024, BAT holds 25.5% of ITC (down from nearly 30%) which still allows it to hold seats on the board. For more information see: ITC Limited Country Profile: India See also…

An investigation by the media outlet ZAM and the Malawian Platform for Investigative Journalism looked into the tax practices of Alliance One Tobacco Malawi (AOTM) a subsidiary of a US-based multinational agricultural company supplying British American Tobacco and Imperial Brands. ZAM found that AOTM “pays practically no tax in Malawi itself, while it makes extraordinarily high…

A new blog from the Tobacco Control Research Group on the implementation of the new UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill has been published by the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR). It suggests how the UK Government could ensure that the piece of legislation, which includes the ‘smokefree generation’ – or ‘endgame’ – policy,…

A new paper from the Tobacco Control Research Group investigates British American Tobacco (BAT)’s activities in Iran. In 2021, BAT stated it “had agreed to dispose of” its subsidiary in Iran, without providing further detail as to the reasons for the departure from a country in which it held the second largest market share, and generated approximately…

An investigation published by The Examination and The Guardian describes how British American Tobacco (BAT) undermined tobacco control laws in Kenya.  Leaked documents showed that BAT lobbied the Kenyan government to relax regulations on the labelling of nicotine pouches, resulting in a significant reduction in the size…

A new page on Tobacco Tactics summarises the policy options for a tobacco ‘endgame’. It details attempts by the tobacco industry and its allies to interfere with or undermine proposed policies in Malaysia, New Zealand and the UK. Related resources on this topic are linked from the page. See: Tobacco Industry Interference with Endgame Policies See also: G.

An article published by The Times today details its investigation into how tobacco companies attempt to influence science and public health policy, using tactics such as funding favourable research and running astroturf campaigns. It spells out how tobacco companies are linked to third-party organisations, some of which they established, and how in turn those third parties promote industry-funded science…

The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids has published a new report documenting the promotion of e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products by Philip Morris International (PMI) and British American Tobacco (BAT).    It details how social media…

A new paper from the Tobacco Control Research Group explores the experiences of intimidation among members of the tobacco control community. The study builds on an earlier exploratory study, which established intimidation as a crucial challenge to tobacco control progress, offering insights into how advocates and researchers respond to intimidation and what could be done to better support…

The latest edition of the UK Tobacco Industry Interference Index (UKTI) was published this Tuesday (the 14th). The UKTI is part of the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index, which ranks 90 countries worldwide, up from 80 in 2021. The UK scored 48 out of a possible 100, compared to a score of 32 in 2021, where a higher score means…