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TobaccoUnmasked_English Welcome to Tobacco Unmasked 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 Tobacco Unmasked There are three 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. 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 Tobacco Unmasked? 04th February 2019 - We have updated our Key Topics list to make it easier for you to find the information you are looking for. Scroll down the page and enjoy! 30th December 2018 - Police officers are one of the four categories authorised to implement the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act, the main regulatory framework to control tobacco in Sri Lanka. Read about the sponsorship of Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC) to reconstruct the Weeraketiya Police Station and its potential impacts in our newest page 17th December 2018 - Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) is the largest out-of-court monetary settlement that happened in USA to date. It not only got the tobacco companies to pay compensation for the health costs they generate, but also shed light on tactics used by tobacco companies to interfere in public health policies and actions. Read more in our newest page Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) USA 6th December 2018 - A new, shorter cigarette was introduced to the local market in 2017. Was it a tactic to evade price hikes? Read the details in our newest page. 1st December 2018 - Hemal Ranasinghe was the main actor in the Sinhala Movie "Adaraneeya Kathavak" Accused of Violating the NATA Act. Read more in our new page. 26th November 2018 - Multinational tobacco companies' interest on cannabis industry is becoming progressively evident. Read about Imperial Brands' formal investment in "medicinal cannabis" in our updated page Movement to Legalise Marijuana and the Tobacco Industry. 17th November 2018 - League of Multinational Corporates (LMNC) is a new association launched by seven multinational companies in Sri Lanka, of which Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC) is also a part of. Read more details from our newest page 02nd November 2018 - A new cigarette pack violating the cigarette pack regulations in Sri Lanka was seen in the market in mid October 2018. You can read details on our newest page Violation of Cigarette Pack Regulations. Key Topics Click on the key topics below to access more information on tobacco industry and its activities in Sri Lanka. Background Includes pages on global and national tobacco control laws and policies FCTC – Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and it’s articles NATA – National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act Government fiscal and other policies relevant to tobacco - Fiscal and other policies relevant to the tobacco industry and tobacco related matters in Sri Lanka proposed or implemented up to date Global Tobacco Industry Tactics - Tobacco industry tactics used to interfere in tobacco related policies and actions Tobacco Industry Includes pages directly related to the tobacco industry under following themes; Tobacco Companies - Tobacco companies operating in Sri Lanka, in the Region or relevant multinational tobacco companies Tobacco Industry Directors and Employees – Past and present tobacco Industry directors and employees Tobacco Industry Investors - Major shareholders or investors of tobacco companies operating in Sri Lanka Institutions Linked to the Tobacco Industry Includes pages institutions reported to date to have had any interactions with tobacco industry or their proxies under following themes; Commissioned or Sponsored – Institutions commissioned or sponsored by the tobacco industry Consultants – Institutions with a history of provision of consultancy services to the tobacco industry Indirect Links – Institutions sponsored or commissioned by institutions directly linked to the tobacco industry Institutions with Mutual Associates - Institutions in which Directors/employees of tobacco industry are Directors/employees/members Institutions Governed by Tobacco Industry – Institutions in which executive positions are assigned to tobacco industry employees or directors as a representative of the tobacco industry Partners – Institutions that facilitated projects with the tobacco industry or partnered in tobacco industry activities 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 - Individuals with a history of provision of consultancy services to the tobacco industry Partners - Individuals who facilitated projects with the tobacco industry or partnered in tobacco industry activities Monetary or other Gifts - Individuals who accepted money, personal gifts or sponsored tours from the tobacco industry Sponsorship for Government Activities - Individuals who accepted sponsorship for government activities from the tobacco industry Sponsorship for Research - Individuals who accepted sponsorship for research or other academic activities from the tobacco industry Sponsorship for Social Projects - Individuals who accepted sponsorship for social projects Event Participation - Individuals who participated in the events organised by the tobacco industry or its proxies Individuals and Institutions Interfering in Tobacco Control Include pages on individuals and institutions that opposed or took actions to delay tobacco control policies or actions, however with no proven link with the tobacco industry to date. NATA Act Implementation - Individuals or institutions with no proven link to the tobacco industry to date, that interfered in implementation of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act Tobacco Tax Increase - Individuals or institutions with no proven link to the tobacco industry to date, that opposed or interfered in proposals for tobacco tax increase Tobacco Cultivation Control - Individuals or institutions with no proven link to the tobacco industry to date, that opposed or interfered controlling tobacco cultivation Tobacco Industry Activities Includes pages on tobacco industry actions and strategies under following themes; Corporate Social Investments - Tobacco industry activities related to following subcategories; activities themed as ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ actions of the tobacco industry or a subsidiary sponsorship of social events by the industry or its employees (using the company name and/or the title) any other sponsorship by the tobacco industry or its employees (using the company name and/or the title) Influencing Policy - Tobacco industry behaviours on tobacco control or other policy processes Marketing and Promotions - Tobacco industry activities related to promoting their products or their image Tobacco Cultivation - Tobacco industry activities related to tobacco cultivation Tobacco Tax and Pricing Related Issues - Tobacco industry activities and reactions to tobacco tax increases Liaising with Government Officials – Tobacco companies or employees collaborating/partnering with government officials in implementing tobacco company activities Involvement in Illicit Tobacco Trade – Tobacco industry activities related to 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 arguments against control measures Tobacco Industry Responses - Tobacco industry responses for accusations/queries from the authorities/scientists/public or for tobacco control policies/actions Interfering in Tobacco Control Actions - Tobacco industry interference in ground level implementation of MPOWER policies and other 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.

TobaccoUnmasked Hotline on Article 5.3 violations

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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