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TobaccoUnmasked Welcome to TobaccoUnmasked TobaccoUnmasked is the information portal of the Centre for Combating Tobacco (CCT). It contains evidence based information on the tobacco industry, with detailed profiles of tobacco companies relevant to Sri Lanka and their employees. The pages of this website also contain profiles of tobacco industry allies; institutions and individuals linked with the industry in various ways. TobaccoUnmasked describes strategies adopted by the tobacco industry in the themes of influencing policy, tobacco tax & price related issues, corporate social investments, tobacco cultivation and marketing and promotion. Tobacco industry arguments and their responses against different policy processes are reported as a learning exercise for future reference. How to Find Information on TobaccoUnmasked There are several ways in which you can find information on TobaccoUnmasked: You can search for a specific topic in the Search Bar on the top of the screen. To search, type the topic you want to find the information into the box, and press 'Enter'. If its a recent issue, you can go through the list of most recent pages in the ‘What’s New section’ which will display new entries or major updates to the existing pages. Or, you can search through the ‘Key Topics’ section that categorizes the pages based on the themes the investigations were conducted. Searching for an individual? Click the relevant category below for an easy search: Tobacco Industry Directors and Employees Politicians Government Officials and Employees Academics and Researchers Corporate Sector Entertainment Industry Journalists and Media Disclaimer:The individual profiles are published as a facilitator to implement FCTC Article 5.3 only. It is not the intention of the TobaccoUnmasked team to tarnish the individuals' image nor to cause them harm. About Us CCT is the Sri Lankan tobacco observatory established at the Faculty of Medicine University of Colombo under the Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The aim of the CCT is to monitor the tobacco industry activities related to implementation of Article 5.3 in Sri Lanka and the region. Our implementation partners include; Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) Sri Lanka, National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol(NATA) and the Expert Committee on Tobacco, Alcohol and Illicit Drugs of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA). The project was powered by Framework Convention on Tobacco Control(FCTC)Secretariat and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The UNION) and technical assistance was provided by the Tobacco Control Research Group, University of Bath and the Centre for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California San Francisco. TobaccoUnmasked follows the model of TobaccoTactics, introduced by Tobacco Control Research Group, University of Bath. What’s New on TobaccoUnmasked? 30th September 2019 - Anura Kumara Dissanayake is the sixth TobaccoUnmasked profile under the Politicians theme. Visit our new page to find details on his activities related to tobacco industry. 15th September 2019 - Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC) runs a leaf-to-cigarettes manufacturing process in Sri Lanka. Our page Attempts of Ceylon Tobacco to Sustain Tobacco Cultivation in Sri Lanka is updated with most recent tactics and attempts to sustain tobacco cultivation in Sri Lanka, amidst the government's plan to eliminate it in 2020. 28th August 2019 - All Ceylon Cigarette Tobacco Barn Owners' Association is a proxy of Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC), working to further CTC's interests. Read how they tried to interfere in tobacco control policies and actions in our newest page. 06th August 2019 - Yet another profile under the Politicians theme. Minister Mangala Samaraweera, the Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka at present, has been targeted with continuous lobbying by the tobacco and alcohol industries. Read our newest page for resulting policy and public health implications. 28th July 2019 - The second post of our new series on how the tobacco industry investors are misled by the industry, Ceylon Tobacco Misleading Shareholders: The Illicit Cigarettes Issue is now online. 03rd July 2019 - We are starting a new series of posts on how the shareholders and investors are misled on tobacco related issues by the tobacco industry. Read how the Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC) mention beedi related facts without scientific basis in their annual reports in our newest page Ceylon Tobacco Misleading Shareholders: The Beedi Issue. Key Topics Click on the key topics below to access more information on tobacco industry and its activities in Sri Lanka. Interested in the definitions for each key topic to understand the reason for categorising the pages under them? Please visit our page Key Topics. Background Includes pages on global and national tobacco control laws and policies and tobacco industry tactics FCTC NATA Government fiscal and other policies relevant to tobacco Global Tobacco Industry Tactics Tobacco Industry Includes pages directly related to the tobacco industry under following themes; Tobacco Companies Tobacco Industry Directors and Employees Tobacco Industry Investors Tobacco Industry Activities Includes pages on tobacco industry actions and strategies under following themes; Corporate Social Investments Influencing Policy Marketing and Promotions Tobacco Cultivation Tobacco Tax and Pricing Related Issues Liaising with Government Officials Involvement in Illicit Tobacco Trade Tobacco Industry Arguments and Responses Includes pages on responses and reactions of the tobacco industry under following themes; Tobacco Industry Arguments Tobacco Industry Responses Interfering in Tobacco Control Actions Institutions Linked to the Tobacco Industry Includes pages on institutions reported to date to have had any interactions with tobacco industry or their proxies under following themes; Commissioned or Sponsored Consultants Indirect Links Institutions with Mutual Associates Institutions Governed by Tobacco Industry Partnerships Individuals associated with the Tobacco Industry Includes pages on politicians, government officials, celebrities, academics, researchers, professionals and other public/popular figures to have had any interaction reported to date with tobacco industry under following categories; Consultants Partnerships Monetary or other Gifts Sponsorship for Government Activities Sponsorship for Research Sponsorship for Social Projects Event Participation Individuals and Institutions Interfering in Tobacco Control Include pages on individuals and institutions that opposed or took action to delay tobacco control policies or actions or propagated the interests of the tobacco industry, however, with no proven link with the tobacco industry to date. Interfered in NATA Act Implementation Interfered in Tobacco Tax Increase Image or Product Promotion Interfered in Tobacco Control Actions

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Information published in tobaccounmasked.lk adheres to a strict referencing policy. You can find the sources of information under the resources list at the end of each post. The posts developed by reporters are edited by the Editor and peer reviewed before publication.

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Suggested citation: Centre for Combating Tobacco, Faculty of Medicine University of Colombo. TobaccoUnmasked, 2017, Available at http://tobaccounmasked.lk/index.php?title=Main_Page, Accessed (date accessed).

Acknowledgments

CCT wishes to acknowledge the library of the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) Sri Lanka for providing literature to develop TobaccoUnmasked posts.

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Our hotlines (+94) 076 923 3435 and (+94) 011 258 1571 are open for you to report violations of FCTC Article 5.3 or any other industry activity to influence policy development or implementation at any level.

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