News

Diplomats may be contravening international regulations aimed at protecting public health from tobacco industry interference, according to new research published in Frontiers in Public Health. Analysis by TCRG researchers, led by Dr. Raouf Alebshehy, reviewed instances of diplomats promoting tobacco companies. The diplomats were all from high income countries and the vast majority of actions were in low- and…

A new report commissioned by STOP shows an escalation in advertising reach by tobacco companies which sponsor Formula 1 motor racing teams. During the 2022 race season, British American Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris International (PMI) spent an estimated $40 million sponsoring the McLaren and Ferrari teams respectively. They also benefited from the popularity of the Netflix hit…

STOP has published a new report on industry pricing strategies based on research conducted by Dr. Rob Branston and Dr. Zaineb Sheik of the Tobacco Control Research Group  The Price We Pay: Six Industry Pricing Strategies That Undermine Life-Saving Tobacco Taxes shows how the tobacco industry uses…

Ran by experts from the Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG), the TIMRA course will take place July 10-14th, 2023 at the University of Bath.   This masterclass will help you develop your skills to support the implementation of tobacco control policies…

A new Public Health Power Hour podcast produced by STOP partner Vital Strategies, and moderated by Jorge Alday (Director, STOP – Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products), features Phil Chamberlain (Deputy Director, Tobacco Control Research Group) and Ashfaq Ahmad (Communication Officer, Society of Alternative Media and Research in Pakistan). Titled ‘Unsavory Alliances: Big Tobacco’s Covert Network…

A new paper by TCRG researchers shows how Philip Morris International (PMI) uses different public narratives to mislead and distract from the harms of its products.  The paper, published in PLOS Global Public Health, presents analysis of the corporate language PMI has used in its investor-facing and public-facing materials over a period of eight years. The authors show…

An investigation carried out by global tobacco industry watchdog STOP has resulted in the addition of 25 new organisations to its Tobacco Industry Allies database. The database, launched in 2019, now includes 135 groups across 33 countries.   Each of the allies listed in the database is categorised as ‘Third Party’, ‘Front Group’ or ‘Astroturf’…

Recently published research led by Christina Kyriakos at Imperial College has added to our understanding of the role of menthol and flavoured capsule cigarettes, including in low and middle-income countries. An examination of global market trends published in Tobacco Induced Diseases, indicated growth of capsule cigarettes across all WHO regions, except Europe. There has been a menthol cigarette ban…

Coinciding with the 77th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA77), STOP has published a new brief warning of tobacco industry attempts to influence policy discussions amongst UN audiences, on topics such as the rights of the child and sustainable financing for development, including for progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). STOP is clear that the tobacco industry has no…