Matthew Chapman

The “independent” researcher paid by Juul YouTube video by The Examination

💸 Juul paid an “independent” nicotine researcher €7,000… and flew him business class to lobby Israeli health officials against a high-strength vape ban.

How independent are the scientists shaping global vaping laws? 👇
🎥 youtube.com/shorts/nf7zL...

EU officials met with reps of Philip Morris International at least six times from September 2022 through 2024, documents show. The tobacco giant’s agenda? Enlist their help in lifting restrictions on its products.

Read our investigation with @theexamination.org 👉 www.politico.eu/article/eu-t...

His Cyprus based consultancy has generated around $1m in revenues since it was established in 2017. He said he founded the company for “various business activities” that have “no bearing on his scientific, research and harm reduction work” and says it "complies with all applicable laws"

Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos has always maintained his independence from industry and accused a previous @lemonde.fr investigation into his links with industry as a 'witch hunt'

‘Independent’ expert who helped shape global vaping debate was paid thousands by Juul A Greek physician who has extensively studied nicotine was paid by Juul to lobby against Israeli vaping regulations. He didn’t disclose the payment in his research.

An influential Greek cardiologist who has helped shaped the global debate on vaping was paid thousands of euros from ecig giant Juul via an offshore company he co-owns, myself, @ebersi.bsky.social and @stephanehorel.bsky.social can reveal www.theexamination.org/articles/juu...

Peer trying to derail UK smoking ban discussed bill with relative at tobacco firm Lord Strathcarron says he and an in-law ‘high up’ at British American Tobacco discussed bill, which he aims to weaken A member of the House of Lords who is trying to derail the generational ban on tobacco sales discussed the legislation with a family member who is “very high up” at British American Tobacco (BAT). Lord Strathcarron is proposing amendments that would scrap the central provision of the tobacco and vapes bill, originally proposed by Rishi Sunak’s government. Continue reading...

Peer trying to derail UK smoking ban discussed bill with relative at tobacco firm

Peer trying to derail UK smoking ban discussed bill with relative at tobacco firm Lord Strathcarron says he and an in-law ‘high up’ at British American Tobacco discussed bill, which he aims to weaken

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Lawmaker with family ties to British American Tobacco attempts to stop UK smoking ban Lord Strathcarron didn’t publicly disclose his family connection even as he adopted the tobacco giant’s position on a “smoke-free generation” bill.

Lord Strathcarron, a hereditary peer trying to stop a smoking ban for future generations, told me he discussed the bill with a relative at British American Tobacco. His amendments will be voted on in the House of Lords tomorrow. www.theexamination.org/articles/uk-...

No-one has ever been prosecuted for any of the deaths, and an attempt to bring a human rights case in Kenya was thrown out by a judge. Still there's no justice for the families, while others profit

Credit to Tesco and Waitrose though, who immediately stopped selling products from the farm after the initial investigations, and still are not selling them

How many more people need to die until supermarkets - that boast of their ethical sourcing - stop sell selling pineapples from the farm?

Morrisons and @sainsburys.bsky.social quietly began reselling the pineapples after Del Monte commissioned its own human rights 'impact assessment' after the deaths and other alleged human rights abuses were first exposed. The assessment was never made public & there's since been SIX more deaths

More killings at Del Monte's pineapple megafarm in Kenya and still @sainsburys.bsky.social, Iceland and Morrisons sell their products. A local MP is now calling them 'blood pineapples' but apparently those UK supermarkets' are fine with stocking them

I'm sure all the tobacco funded libertarian think tanks will spin the rise in smoking as a knockon effect of the disposable vape ban, but the survey took place before the ban. And those who tried smoking said they "intend to smoke in the future" and will likely become regular smokers

Smoking among children in the Great Britain is increasing, now one in five kids (21%) have tried smoking, compared to just 14% two years ago (according to latest figures from ASH). And it coincides with the explosion in popularity of vaping among kids

Good to see Baroness O'Grady raising our findings of the mammoth investigation I did with @mattchapman.bsky.social into the seasonal worker visa in a recent debate on the Fair Work Agency.

She correctly highlights how immigration enforcement hampers effective labour enforcement.

Incredible to me that in Laos you can buy a pack of cigarettes for less than a can of Coke, and here's why

Smoke and mirrors: How big tobacco manipulates science in Japan In Japan, not only does the tobacco industry have close ties to government, but universities are also vulnerable to its influence. In this equation, public health loses out.

Brave whistleblower, Shiro Konuma, exposes Big Tobacco's manipulation of science in Japan. As he writes "Awareness of hypocrisy and malpractice in the tobacco industry is the first, concrete step toward a truly smoke-free world." www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2...

Work sets you free

Tory peer proposed delay on heated tobacco ban after Philip Morris visit Industry giant paid for Lord Vaizey’s trip to Switzerland before he tabled amendment to tobacco and vapes bill

Curious that neither Lord Vaizey nor Philip Morris would answer our questions about whether any other UK parliamentarians went on the same junket to Swizerland.

Pleasure working with @theexamination.org

Phillip Morris + a British lord + a trip to Switzerland = a new proposal to water down the UK's anti-smoking law

My colleague's @theexamination.org scoop this weekend, in partnership with @theguardian.com 👇

A U.K. lawmaker is trying to stall an upcoming ban on heated tobacco products—after an industry-funded visit to a tobacco giant’s Swiss lab.
👉 Read more: www.theexamination.org/articles/uk-...

Tory peer proposed delay on heated tobacco ban after Philip Morris visit Industry giant paid for Lord Vaizey’s trip to Switzerland before he tabled amendment to tobacco and vapes bill A Conservative peer proposed delaying the UK’s proposed ban on heated tobacco, weeks after a leading cigarette company paid for him to visit its research facility in Switzerland. The tobacco and vapes bill would gradually raise the age at which consumers can buy cigarettes and other tobacco products, making the UK the first major economy to chart a course towards phasing out tobacco altogether. Continue reading...

Tory peer proposed delay on heated tobacco ban after Philip Morris visit

Tory peer proposed delay on heated tobacco ban after Philip Morris visit Industry giant paid for Lord Vaizey’s trip to Switzerland before he tabled amendment to tobacco and vapes bill

Lobbying 101. Give a lawmaker a freebie trip and then a few weeks later they propose a favourable law change on your behalf www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Some of the poorest countries in the world will no longer be able to monitor youth tobacco use after the Trump administration's cuts to the CDC. Experts fear it will open a "playground" for Big Tobacco w/ @maria-perez.bsky.social‬ & @ashleyokwuosa.bsky.social‬ www.theexamination.org/articles/tru...

The Philippines is chairing the World Health Assembly for the first time – but public health organizations are calling on @who.int to revoke its role over ties between Filipino officials and tobacco giant Phillip Morris International. #WHA78 🧵

www.theexamination.org/articles/how...

Del Monte's global corporate office is in the United States, but despite this no major US media outlet has covered the story

Court cases for the victims of assault are never brought, or are delayed, seemingly indefinitely. And a Kenyan human rights case brought on behalf of a group of alleged victims was thrown out due to lack of jurisdiction (after lawyers successfully argued Del Monte was based in the Cayman Islands)

Many of the ancestors of those living next to the farm were forced off the land by Del Monte's predecessor, and now their descendants live in extreme poverty. Theft from the pineapple farm is high, which has led to violent clashes