Latest news (back to 2001) on the tobacco industry's
worldwide misdeeds.
Plain
packaging - see the TI's history of opposition to ending
their packet advertising.
See also Tobacco
litigation and The
Light/Mild scam
Big
Tobacco: a story of lies, fraud and deceit
Great comic strip by "Gus" for our partner organisation
ACOSH. Tells the story of the
tobacco industry in a nutshell - with real quotes from industry leaders.
STOP PRESS:
Oz
link in Big Tobacco's UK dirty tricks to stop plain packs
May
2013: The UK government is under fire over its links with the tobacco
industry after shelving plain packs legislation. The Conservative Party
hired Australian Lynton Crosby as Campaign Manager after he headed the tobacco giants'
Australian anti-plain packs ad campaign - and questions are being asked
about his influence in the UK decision. New
Statesman 8/5/13 The
Cameron government also includes tobacco-associated Minister Kenneth
Clarke. Links also surfaced between two ex-police
anti-plain pack campaigners and tobacco company BAT, health leaders
accusing the tobacco giant of lacking transparency on the
connection. The two
ex-policemen had argued without credible evidence that terrorist groups would benefit from
increased illicit tobacco they claimed would result. Guardian
28/4/13
During
the UK consultation, Japan Tobacco's British company
Gallaher Ltd was ordered by
the Advertising Standards Authority to drop anti-plain pack
ads found "unsubstantiated" and "likely to mislead".
The ASA found the ads falsely claimed the "black
market in tobacco is booming" and that plain packs would add to it.
ASA
ruling 17/4/13
Yahoo
news 13/3/13
|
TOBACCO
INDUSTRY:
UNLAWFUL,
DECEPTIVE AND LETHAL
US
District Court Judge Gladys Kessler's damning 2006 judgment against
US tobacco companies
in a
landmark US government lawsuit. She found they'd violated civil racketeering
laws, defrauded the public,
lied for decades about targeting of children and health risks of smoking.
Judgment
Excerpts:
[The tobacco companies] have not ceased engaging in unlawful activity...
Their continuing conduct misleads consumers in order to
maximize … revenues
by recruiting new smokers (the majority of whom
are under the age of 18),
preventing current smokers from quitting, and
thereby sustaining the industry.
[This
industry] ... survives, and profits, from selling a
highly addictive product
which causes diseases that lead to a staggering
number of deaths...
an immeasurable amount of human suffering and
economic loss,
and a profound burden on our national health care system.
Defendants have known these facts for at least 50 years or more... [but]
have
consistently, repeatedly, and with enormous
skill and sophistication, denied these facts
to the public, to the
Government, and to the public health community...
[they] have
marketed and sold their lethal products with zeal, with deception,
with
a single-minded focus on their financial success, and without regard for
the human tragedy or social costs that success exacted.
Decision
and almost all remedies upheld by Court
of Appeal 2009
|
The long litany of misdeeds
(back to 2001 - most recent at top)...
Liberal
Senator linked with tobacco and gun lobby groups
January
2013: Key Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi is linked with powerful American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the
Heartland Institute - lobby groups linked with campaigns against tobacco and
gun regulation.
Senator Bernardi defends not declaring the links, denying they create
a conflict of interest. AAP/Australian
27/1/13
Tobacco
industry continues to target poorest areas
2012: NSW
study in Tobacco Control finds density of tobacco retail outlets
linked with social disadvantage and remoteness - after controlling for
smoking prevalence. This suggests outlet density may reflect deliberate
strategy by tobacco industry. Full
study Telegraph
18/12/12
How
tobacco industry uses treaties to undermine health
2012:
Tobacco companies are turning
more to challenging government health policies using international trade
treaties, says comprehensive report by online consumer watchdog Fair
Warning. The report details TI bullying to stop governments taking
strong action to reduce tobacco use. Fair Warning Report
29/11/12
Tobacco
industry skirts plain pack law to brink of deadline
2012: Tobacco giant British American Tobacco is forced to remove
non-compliant markings from its cigarettes on brink of plain packaging
deadline December 1. Three-letter markings indicating cities were
criticised by Health Minister Plibersek as a case of "cigarette
companies trying to push the boundaries". ABC
News 29/11/12
Tobacco
industry must admit they lied, says US judge
2012: US judge rules tobacco companies must broadcast and
publish factual statements about tobacco's harm, and admissions that
they deliberately deceived the public and made their
products more addictive. ABC
Lateline 28/11/12 The case
is U.S.
v. Philip Morris (99-cv-2496)
Tobacco
giants' 40 year world war on pack health warnings
2012: Anaylysis of
industry and public documents shows how the TI worked against the pack
health warning since the 1970s by
"trying to make it meaningless, polluting the communication channels with disinformation, delaying the process, and using propaganda and
lobbying to undermine social support." Full
study 23/10/12 Quit
release 24/10/12
Big
3 plain packs response:
reassurance, more descriptors, subliminal ploys, protest
2012: In leadup to plain
pack laws
starting to take effect from Oct 1, the big three tobacco companies launch
new packaging
and retailer briefings. BAT has at least 38 descriptors on its
brands. All companies reassure unchanged "quality", remind
retailers of legal responsibilities to comply. Philip Morris urges continued
protest. An Imperial brand makes a shrewd subliminal connection with the plain pack design.
BAT and Imperial flyers sent to retailers, and Philip Morris pack inserts, at ASH
PACKWATCH
Call
to regulate content to stop US tobacco
industry hooking youth
2012: The influential New York Times joins call to regulate
tobacco content to stop the industry exploiting loopholes to hook
American youth. TI documents show them
manipulating products to evade laws and target young people. Congressman Henry Waxman
and health leaders have called
for an end to loopholes allowing flavourings in cigars and pipe tobacco.
Waxman
release 27/8/12
New
York Times editorial 2/9/12
Big
tobacco targets Asia-Pacific children
2012: As Australia and other wealthier nations move more strongly
against tobacco, the tobacco giants are increasingly targeting poorer
nations in the Asia-Pacific - and especially children - in a
"looming humanitarian disaster." SMH/Sun-Herald/Age
26/8/12 and
see tobacco giants' mealymouthed response
26/8/12
Tobacco
industry stayed silent on bone harm
2012: Study from Creighton
University, US shows how tobacco weakens bones by blocking replacement
of bone cells. ASH slams TI for staying silent on decades
of research on tobacco bone harm. ASH
Australia release 30/7/12 with abstract link
Powerful
tobacco allies fund world campaign to block plain packs
2012: Powerful US corporate alliance
with tobacco, climate denial, Tea Party links funds global campaign to derail plan packs.
American Legislative
Exchange Council (ALEC) targets UK, whose public consultation closes
end-August. Guardian
15/7/12
More on Plain
packaging
Philip
Morris targets Indonesian children in "corporate genocide"
2012: Philip Morris implicated in advertising near Indonesian
schools; other child- attracting tactics. ABC
(US) 10/7/12 Indonesia
the only
Asian country yet to sign world FCTC
treaty. Study
of industry docs shows companies taking over traditional manufacturers,
undermining health policies; feature
outlines billboard campaign by
Philip
Morris company telling consumers it's "better to die" than not
smoke its brand. Billboard
>>"Other Promotions"
BAT
implicated in smuggling, industrial espionage
2012: British American Tobacco implicated in allegations of
industrial espionage and involvement in smuggling in Africa. BAT
described as "a serial violator of laws and business
ethics". Premium
Times 6/7/12
Indian
rollie trade exploits child workers
2012: Worldwide campaign to help young Indian girls, virtual slaves
working long hours for paltry pay rolling "beedi" - cheap
hand-rolled cigarettes. BBC
news 12/6/12
Tobacco
companies use youth events to target Indonesian kids
2012: Indonesia's
National Commission on Child Protection says tobacco companies are using
"corporate social responsibility" to target kids. As youth smoking
rises, tobacco firms sponsor thousands of music, sport and fashion events to further youth marketing
aims. Jakarta
Post 24/5/12
Tobacco
giant in sneaky ad for cut-price cigs
2012: British American Tobacco has used exaggerated claims of illicit
trade as an thinly-disguised unpaid advertisement for its newest
cut-price brand. BATA release
17/5/12 (not online) and Telegraph/news.com
17/5/12
The
Tele was sucked in:
Crikey
comment 17/5/12
Latest evidence
on tobacco tax and illicit trade
Worldwide illicit tobacco trade news from International
Consortium of Investigative Journalists
Tobacco companies fund international
challenge
2012: Australia's
Big Two tobacco companies, Philip Morris and BAT, admit funding legal
costs of two countries, Ukraine and Honduras, threatening international law
challenge in the World Trade Organization to Australia's plain packaging
bills. Financial
Times 29/4/12
Philip
Morris exec fined for breaking Pakistani advertising law
2012: Civil magistrate in Pakistan finds head of marketing for
Philip Morris Pakistan Ltd guilty of breaking a Pakistani law
restricting cigarette advertising - criticising the exec’s claim that
he didn't realise magazines were part of "the press". Campaign
for Tobacco Free Kids 11/4/12
Tobacco
companies sued over pesticide use and birth defects
2012: In US, Philip Morris and subsidiary sued by farmers and
growers in Argentina over pesticides linked with major birth defects. It's claimed the companies
"wrongfully participated in the promotion, manufacture, design,
sale, distribution and use of... reproductively toxic... chemical products ... in the cultivation of tobacco and other crops".
Courthouse
News 10/4/12
Tobacco
industry still targeting children - and how to fight it: US
Surgeon-General
2012: Latest report from the US Surgeon-General finds tobacco
industry promotion is still hooking children into smoking; and
comprehensive strategies including tax, public education and smokefree
policies are helping reduce youth smoking and uptake. Report
Tobacco
industry's 60-year history of undermining science
2012: Paper
in American Journal of Public Health shows how,
over many years and with great care, tobacco industry PR experts distorted and undermined science and shaped in their
interests how scientists, policymakers, media and public define "proof". Full
paper
Philip Morris hid harm from additives:
study
2011: Philip Morris misled smokers about harm from additives in
its products, says University of California study. It re-analyses results of
Philip Morris study "Project
Mix" which concluded in 2002 "no evidence of
substantial toxicity" - but finds from same data the additives
led to average 20% rise in 15 carcinogens. Independent
(UK) 21/12/11 Full
study ASH
release 22/12/11
PNG minister tells tobacco industry to
butt out
2011: PNG Health Minister attacks British
American Tobacco interference in health. PNG
is amending laws under FCTC
treaty - to raise tobacco tax, ban "kiddie pack" and loose cig sales,
make public venues smokefree. BAT proposes
hosting intergovernmental "Tobacco Working Committee" as "consultative, advisory and reviewing
authority" on tobacco-related matters. In statement 11/11/11,
Health Minister Jaime Maxtone-Graham says the meeting “should not
take place, ... be convened by [BAT] [or] attended by anyone concerned about improving public health....
BAT
has no interest in the health of our citizens... This meeting is a ruse to manipulate and reinvent their
image.” PNG
Health Minister; Globalink
WHO
chief slams industry Dirty Tricks against plain packs
2011: WHO Director-General Margaret Chan slams tobacco
industry "dirty tricks", unethical tactics against health policies
worldwide, including Australia's plain packs. Urges countries to
"stand firm together, do not bow to pressure... we must never allow
the tobacco industry to get the upper hand". AFP
11/10/11
Tobacco
poisoning thousands of child workers
2011: Thousands of child tobacco workers being "poisoned" -
Malawi just one example of the industry "turning a blind eye
to human rights abuses by its suppliers in the quest for greater
profit." One
World South Asia report 15/9/11
Big
tobacco knew of radioactive content but hid it, didn't remove it
2011: Tobacco giants knew back in 1959
their products contained
carcinogenic Polonium 210 - but hid it, says review of industry docs.
The industry knew from 1980 of
a process to remove the radioactivity - but chose not to
use it. ABC
news 29/9/11 and earlier 2007
study
BATA
exploits refugee controversy to question plain pack legality
2011: BAT Australia places full-page ads in newspapers exploiting legal
dispute over
refugee policy to cast doubt on legality of plain tobacco packaging
bills. The ad asks "Is the government's legal advice on shaky
ground?" BATA
ad in Sydney Telegraph 7/9/11, p. 22
Philip
Morris tries to get hold of confidential child interviews
2011: Philip Morris
tries to use Freedom of Information to gain access to
confidential university interviews with children about smoking. The move coincides with an anonymous
hate campaign against university tobacco researchers. Independent,
UK 1/9/11
Philip Morris later appeared
to have dropped its FOI claim: Independent
26/11/11
Philip
Morris: a friend to die for
2011: Chilling billboard
ad in Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia promoting Philip
Morris-owned Sampoerna brand says "Dying is better than leaving a
friend" and "Sampoerna: a cool friend". Photo
18/8/11 "Grotesque" ad condemned: Asian
Correspondent 27/8/11
Tobacco
giants sue US to block graphic warnings
2011: Four US tobacco
companies sue US Food
and Drug Administration to block new graphic packet health warnings.
Described by FDA as "frank and honest", the warnings are
panned as "manipulative" and "emotional" by
tobacco companies. AP/CBS
16/8/11
Big
Tobacco misleads retailers; offers Fiji hols for pushing
2011: Some retailers are concerned at misleading flyers distributed
to them by
Imperial Tobacco urging them to protest about plain packs to current House of Representatives inquiry.
Meanwhile BAT Australia criticised by ASH for offering Fiji holidays to
retailers pushing tobacco. Imperial
flyers BAT
retailer Fiji promotion and Telegraph
report 24/7/11
Tobacco
least reputable industry: world/Australian survey
2011: Second year running, tobacco scores lowest in worldwide survey of reputation. 85,000 respondents (including
> 5600 Australians) in independent Global Reputation Pulse survey
rated tobacco easily lowest of 25 major industry groups. ACOSH
media release 15/6/11
Tobacco
giants thriving on exploitation of young, poor, uneducated
2011: Big tobacco thriving by ruthlessly exploiting young, poor, uneducated in poorest countries, says UK
Independent report. Tobacco profits rising at expense of lives, health.
Continuing litany of price fixing,
corruption, legal muscle, targeting children. Independent 29/5/11
BAT
price threat targets children, poor; $500m pa "ripoff" of
smokers
2011: British American Tobacco warns of a price-cutting war to
counter plain packaging - criticised by ASH and allies as a further
threat to target children and harm disadvantaged smokers. BAT
release 17/5/11 and
ASH
response 17/5/11 Also Prof
Simon Chapman comment 17/5/11 Industry threat
reveals $500m pa ripoff in company
"gouging": Australia
Inst release 18/5/11
Philip Morris' "decades of
neglect" of potent carcinogens
2011: Philip Morris and
another US tobacco company had the technology to reduce or control a
group of potent carcinogens in their tobacco - but over a decade after
promising to, research analysis of their top brands showed there'd been
"no meaningful attempt". Full
study
Philip
Morris meeting glosses over record of "bullying, subversion"
2011: Philip Morris International at its annual shareholder's meeting
on May 11, celebrated another year of record profits - while
another five million plus died from tobacco.
UK
Daily Mail report with damning quotes and photo
Same
day, Corporate Accountability International
report shows
PMI lining its coffers at the expense of lives and health. Exposes "dark truth behind how PMI earns billions of
dollars from coercion, political manipulation... legal bullying... subversion of public health laws."
CAI
alternative report on PMI, May 2011
Menthol
used to deceive and addict young smokers
2011: Study of industry documents
shows tobacco companies have
deliberately used menthol "to attract inexperienced smokers who...
perceive them to be less harmful..." Included Philip
Morris, BAT, Imperial and more. See
abstract
with link to full study
Philip
Morris website manipulates smokers
2011: After decades of misleading smokers, hiding harm and boosting addictiveness, Philip Morris
opens site
to stir smoker opposition to health policies that will save lives and
help them quit - smokefree places, tax rises, ending displays, plain packs.
ideservetobeheard
Secret
tobacco industry docs show two decades of health interference
2011: Australian documents among new release of more than 60,000
formerly secret tobacco industry docs show the industry
aggressively blocking health reforms for two decades. They also hid research on how their product
wrecked babies' DNA. ASH
release 11/3/11 with
doc links
BAT pushing cool addictive cancer to
teens
2011: BAT
pushes menthol to youth in Switzerland in print ad with large youth readership. Midway through cigarette, smoker can break
capsule of menthol in filter - delivers strong flavour.
Children, especially girls, reported to love it. Kent
Ad 20min 21/2/11 Full page
Kent
Ad 20min 21/211 Ad only Menthol
no mere flavour - more addictive, carcinogenic - ASH
Australia release 2/6/10
Tobacco
industry exaggerates illicit trade
2011: Deloitte
report commissioned by Big 3 tobacco companies
claims “taxpayers losing $1bn” in illicit tobacco - “up 25%” since 2010 tax rise and
is now (they claim) almost 16% of total tobacco
sales. The report rejected as "self-serving smoke" by researchers.
Comment from Prof
Simon Chapman. TI tactics exposed:
Croakey
blog says tobacco industry is bad for public health
Tobacco
companies stall reforms at $360,000 taxpayer cost
2011: Tobacco giants Philip Morris and British American
Tobacco seek thousands of files on proposed health reforms in
"beyond excessive" FOI claims costing taxpayers $360,000+ - would have
cost $1.5m but cut by department-funded negotiations. Greens
release 24/2/11
Big
Tobacco rehashes plain pack attack
2011: Tobacco industry revives its "won't work" mantra in media ads against plain
packs, fronted by Alliance
of Australian Retailers. ASH says the "big three" tobacco
companies are peddling the same old poison in an expensive box - just
like it does with its products.
ASH
Australia release 22/2/11 with
link to the tobacco-funded ads
Industry
flogs "increased smuggling" myth in UK
2011: The tobacco industry is
continuing to assert that tax increases will boost illicit tobacco
trade, despite the lack of evidence of this, writes Deborah Arnott of
ASH UK in the Guardian. Guardian
article 24/2/11
Note: ASH Australia is not
affiliated with ASH UK or any other "ASH"
Cheap
cigs target poorest areas
2011: Cut-price
cigarettes are more available in lower-income areas, undermining efforts
to cut smoking, says a Cancer Council Victoria study of milk bars near
randomly selected secondary schools. More than twice as many
retailers in the poorest areas sold discounted cigarettes as
those in wealthiest areas. See
full
study pdf and Melbourne
Age report 9/2/11
Philip
Morris pays out $5m in chewing tobacco death suit
2010: Philip Morris broke longtime policy of never
settling personal injury case, with US$5m payout on wrongful
death suit against its subsidiary US Smokeless Tobacco. USST was sued over
42-year-old
man's death from oral cancer caused by company's chewing
tobacco. Case unearthed alarming company correspondence with child
users. PR
Watch report 14/12/10
BAT's
spooky black market melodrama
2010: British American Tobacco UK site posts 6-minute glossy video of spooky
and fanciful story linking tobacco-health policies (plain packaging, retail display
bans, tax rises) with organised East European criminals, greedy politicians, violence and terrorism. BAT
video - and response
from Prof Simon Chapman
Sex,
Lies and Cigarettes
2010 documentary (42 mins)
produced by Current TV (US) - explores, exposes aggressive marketing tactics of multinational cigarette
companies to attract new generation of smokers,
especially among children and low-income people, and in
low-middle income countries.
How big tobacco teamed up with
climate change deniers to cloud scientific air
2010: Book Merchants of Doubt documents how a small
group of scientists with tobacco industry links campaigned to
undermine scientific consensus on tobacco health impacts, acid rain,
climate change, more. Bloomsbury
Press reviews and excerpts from Guardian (UK) article
2006
Tobacco
"least reputable" industry: world survey
2010: Tobacco industry rated least reputable among the
world's 25 major industry categories in the independent Global
Reputation Pulse worldwide survey of over 80,000 consumer interviews in
32 countries. See Sydney
University/ACOSH media release with results 16/6/10
Tobacco industry may use gene research
to avoid responsibility
2010: Tobacco industry funding of genetic research into addiction
may be used by the industry to avoid responsibility for addiction, says
a study of industry documents. See
study
Tobacco companies take aim at Asian
women
2010: Tobacco marketing to women in low-middle income countries
is stooping to new depths, telling smokers they will be smarter, sexier
and even have easier childbirth. See
Independent/AFP
report 3/5/10 and World
No Tobacco Day 2010 hits back against targeting women
Tobacco's tricky tactics in Australian
"dark market"
2010: The tobacco
industry is resorting to a wider range of under-the-radar tactics as
Australian regulations tighten. See
Sydney
Morning Herald feature with ASH comment 24/4/10
Tobacco companies fined for UK price
fixing
2010: Imperial Tobacco, UK
tobacco manufacturer Gallaher and ten retailers were fined a total AUD$366m for illegal
UK price-fixing deals. Imperial ($182m) and the others also fined over
price-matching deals on tobacco products from 2001-03. See
sky.com
report 16/4/10
Canada
fines tobacco
companies $589m for smuggling
2010:
Two Canadian tobacco companies to pay AUD$589m to federal, provincial governments to settle suits
alleging they shipped cigarettes from Canada to the US - to be smuggled back to
Canada for cut-price sale. See Canada
Globe & Mail report 13/4/10 and
UPI
report 14/4/10
Tobacco companies didn't tell us
cigarettes may contain pig's blood
2010: Cigarette filters may contain traces of pig's blood - and the
tobacco companies didn't tell their Jewish, Islamic or vegetarian
customers. See news.com.au
report 30/3/10 The Colbert Report feature on this
is available at the Tobacco
Control Supersite
Read full story in Tobacco
Control
Tobacco exec defends unsafe product
2010: British American Tobacco executive reluctantly agrees at a
NZ parliamentary inquiry that tobacco is "not
safe" - but defends shop displays on basis of "customer choice". See
3news
report 11/3/10 See all submissions
to the NZ inquiry - especially submissions by Te Reo Marama,
ASH NZ, ASH
Australia, BAT NZ, Philip Morris NZ, and Maori health expert Dr
Marewa Glover
Tobacco funding "skewed"
findings on Alzheimer's link
2010: Review of
evidence on smoking and Alzheimer's says tobacco funds "skewed"
findings for over 20 years. Tobacco industry-affiliated studies
found smoking cut AD risk by average 14%; those
independent of tobacco influence showed an increase of + 70%. See
study
abstract - spool down to pp. 465-480
See Science
Daily report 2/2/10
Philip Morris scare campaign against
plain packaging
2009:
Philip Morris' glossy scare campaign to
tobacco retailers warns plain packs
will be "very difficult" for retailers, "increase
security risk", "inconvenience customers" and "limit choice". See
campaign pics
But 2009
study shows the
industry worked to mislead Australian and Canadian governments with
"phoney" complaints. More on plain
packaging
Tobacco companies undermine packet
health warnings
2009: Tobacco companies are
undermining graphic pack health warnings by favouring the least
disturbing images, says NZ study. The companies are meant to rotate
warnings evenly but seem to print more of those less confronting. See Science
Alert report 30/9/09 and the
study
Should an ex-tobacco director be
celebrated as a role model?
2009: Fashion designer Carla Zampatti, ex-Rothmans Director, gets Order of Australia gong for “service through leadership and
management.... in.... fashion and retail...., multicultural broadcasting, and to women as a role model and
mentor.” Comment in crikey.com
US court confirms tobacco
industry lied about Lights
2009: US court finds tobacco
companies misled consumers to think "light"/"mild"
cigarettes were less
harmful. See redOrbit
report 23/5/09 Tobacco
industry in Australia unapologetic despite ACCC finding of deception, jumping seamlessly
to terms like "smooth" and "fresh". See Melbourne
Age report and editorial 20/2/05 More at
The
Light/Mild scam
Tobacco industry should butt out after
decades of interference
2009: ASH urges Australian governments to support
treaty commitments and end decades of tobacco industry interference in
"fundamental and irreconcilable conflict" with public
health. See ASH release 5/5/09 See WHO
background FCTC: how governments should
prevent interference
Tobacco
industry's shifting stance on harm, addictiveness
2009: WHO report on the industry's
decades of shifting stances on addictiveness and harmfulness. Internal documents
in conflict with public denials of harm and addictiveness. Industry
documents show what they knew, and when. Still
they blame the smoker. See
report
BAT
re-butted after misleading councillors
2008:
British American Tobacco tries to scare Wagga (NSW) Council out of
smokefree alfresco dining reform by making misleading claims
See ASH
release 27/11/08 See BAT
claims and ASH response Council resisted the interference and
put its community first - see ASH
release 31/3/09
Tobacco companies and dealers try to
derail NSW child protection measures
2008: Philip Morris and
NSW tobacco dealers try to scuttle out-of-sight shop display reform by misinforming NSW ministers. The bill was later
passed by NSW parliament. See
ASH media
release 21/7/08 See Philip
Morris scare tactics - and the truth Latest on
Protecting children
BAT accused of targeting African children
2008: BBC
documentary on
British American Tobacco targeting African Children with cigarettes. Is
this social responsibility? "We
don't want children to smoke" - see BAT
response
Smoked out: big tobacco's deals in
clubland
2008: Tobacco companies have paid Victorian pubs and clubs
commissions for selling tobacco - the kind of link that's
frustrated and weakened smokefree workplace laws. See
Melbourne
Age report 11/7/08
UK tobacco firm connected with
smuggling, sanction busting, product dumping
2008: Legal case exposes British cigarette manufacturer
Gallaher's connection with tobacco smuggling, breaking international
sanctions in Iraq, and dumping inferior product in poor countries. See
Sunday
Times online report 27/4/08
"Vitamin E enhanced"
cigarette latest ploy to associate tobacco with health
2007: German tobacco company's cigarette "enhanced" with Vitamin E draws criticism from health experts as latest attempt to deceive
smokers into associating smoking with health or reduced harm. See
Tobacco-Free Kids (US)
statement 24/9/07
Philip Morris breaks promise to end
Formula One sponsorship
2007: Tobacco giant Philip Morris goes back on a promise to end its high-profile sponsorship of Ferrari's
Formula 1 car racing team - sponsorship that exposes children to
promotion. See
Tobacco
Free Kids article 17/4/07
Industry undermines tobacco treaty in
Nepal
2007: The tobacco industry in Nepal did its best to skate
around the country's ratification of the worldwide tobacco treaty, the
FCTC. See Kathmandu
Post story 4/3/07
Tobacco giant pushes ventilation
scam
2006: British American Tobacco documents show they knew ventilation/filtration
was ineffective at removing
secondhand smoke, but continued pushing these worldwide via the hospitality industry to
derail smokefree laws. See tobacco.org
news 27/1/06 and full
BMJ study 1/06
Trust us, we're a big tobacco company
2005: Uni of Otago - ASH NZ report unpicks British American Tobacco spin of "social responsibility" to
show a corporation continuing to deceive. See
Scoop
NZ report with ASHNZ media release 8/11/05
Summary and
full
report
Marlboro
leads the pack with buzz marketing
2005: Philip Morris' top brand is still out there in the US, using a
range of flash marketing strategies to push its deadly
product to young people. See
Business
Week report 31/10/05
Winfield
exploits Aboriginal site in ad campaign
2005:
BAT brand uses Aboriginal special place Kata Tjuta in Central
Australia in a German ad campaign - turning the site upside down for "Down Under" theme. Insensitive to Aboriginal
communities,
whose health is ravaged by tobacco use.
See
the
ad More at our indigenous
page
Big
Tobacco "meddling, manipulating and interfering" in treaty
2005: Major international
report says tobacco companies while claiming "social
responsibility" worked to derail global FCTC anti-tobacco treaty.
See
ASH
media release 7/10/05 See the report
Philip Morris opposes proven measures
to reduce child smoking
2005: Philip Morris says it "doesn't want kids to
smoke" but opposed measures to reduce child smoking in US
states of Texas and North Carolina. See Tobacco-Free
Kids release 15/7/05
Big Two AGMs attract worldwide
protests; report batters BAT
2005: Tobacco's Big Two
company AGMs attract worldwide protest; and report shows BAT
"social responsibility" has destroyed health and environment. See
ASH
media release 28/4/05
Tobacco industry's artificial nicotine
trick
2005: Big tobacco experimented with developing
artificial nicotine substitutes to trick governments and smokers,
anticipating nicotine might one day be banned, says research
paper. See media
release 22/4/05 and the paper
Philip Morris talk of "harm
reduction" is a sham
2005: Philip Morris Executive David Davies tells
Australia's National Press Club the company is about to trial
“reduced harm” cigarettes on humans. But previous industry claims of
"safer" products have been found to be deceptive. Melbourne
Age 25/3/05
Philip Morris hooked young people,
concealed dangers: US Supreme Court
2005: Smoker hooked on tobacco at 15 has US$10m
damages suit against Philip Morris upheld by US
Supreme Court, rejecting the company's review application. Report 22/3/05
Philip Morris Indonesian deal a
"blow to regional health"
2005: "Responsible"
tobacco giant slips around tobacco treaty to target regional poor.
Philip
ASH media release 16/3/05 featuring Mary Assunta of the SE Asia Tobacco Control
coalition.
Philip Morris worked to downplay SIDS
link with secondhand smoke
2005: Company documents show
Philip Morris spent years undermining and hiding research linking secondhand
smoke with SIDS (cot death). Study
and media
report 7/3/05
BAT hit by mounties' smuggling allegation
2005: British American Tobacco hit by smuggling
allegation - from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Media
report 9/1/05
Secondhand harm hidden
2004: Philip Morris hid harm from secondhand
smoke for 20 years, says Lancet study. PM
USA lab uncovered evidence in the early 80s of serious risks from passive smoking but its findings were
never made public. See
media
report 11/11/04 See full Lancet
article 11/04
Company breaks UK law
2004: Imperial tobacco found guilty of breaking
advertising law in UK. See
ASH
UK release 4/8/04
I helped BAT destroy
embarrassing documents
2004: Lawyer blows whistle on tobacco giant "document
retention" policy. McCabe v BAT case heard BAT destroyed thousands of potentially embarrassing
docs on marketing, particularly to youth. Age 26/9/04 (see Sept 2004, Birnbauer...) and
latest
on McCabe case
Philip Morris US fined for dumping
emails relevant to court case
2004: Philip Morris US and
parent Altria Group have been fined US$2.7m for deleting emails
relevant to a court case.
Associated
Press report 21/7/04
What Philip
Morris didn't tell us about pesticides in their cigarettes
2003: Philip Morris Australia's own documents show they
knew for over 20 years about high DDT and other pesticide levels
in their cigarettes, but didn't tell the public. See
the research
Australian Government also knew
levels high, but against own advisers let tobacco industry regulate
content
Philip
Morris fined for breaking NSW law over student fashion promotion
2002:
Philip Morris fined in Sydney's Downing St Local
Court (8/11/02) for breaking NSW Public Health Act in promotions targeting women at
youth fashion event. The first time Philip Morris has been convicted for breaking tobacco advertising laws.
More...
Philip Morris hid what they
knew about tobacco's link with meningococcal disease
2001: ASH
media release 28/11/01
Note an Australian study has now found children's risk of this disease is multiplied by not
4 but 9 times by having parents who smoke. Study
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