Tobacco Nexus
My name is Alistair Servet. I'm a journalist covering vaping, nicotine science and tobacco policy — a subject I came to personally. I smoked for seven years and quit overnight thanks to an e-cigarette. That experience convinced me that vaping, when it stays true to its original purpose, is one of the most effective tobacco cessation tools available.
I've been covering this industry since 2017, based in France — a country with a striking particularity: around 85% of its vaping market is entirely independent of the tobacco industry. The products most French vapers use come from manufacturers who built their businesses specifically to help smokers quit, with no ties to Big Tobacco whatsoever. That reality tends to surprise people, because vaping is often perceived — especially outside Europe — as a tobacco industry product. In the United States, for years, only Big Tobacco products received FDA approval. The picture looks very different here.
But things are changing, and not for the better. I've watched Big Tobacco steadily move into the vaping market — funding advocacy groups, influencing regulation, acquiring independent brands. Some French manufacturers have joined industry associations that include tobacco majors. A market that exists to help people escape tobacco is being slowly colonised by the industry it was meant to replace. That contradiction is what led me to build Tobacco Nexus.
Tobacco Nexus maps the networks of entities documented as connected to the world's five largest tobacco corporations: Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International, Imperial Brands and Altria.
An entity is included when at least one documented connection ties it to a manufacturer — through ownership, employment, financial contributions, contracted services, sponsorships, scientific collaboration, or conference participation. The nature and depth of each connection vary considerably. Each card describes the specific documented link and cites its source.
Not familiar with the five corporations? An overview of each company — their revenue, brands, subsidiaries and strategies — is available on this site.
Inclusion does not imply wrongdoing. The database documents connections, not judgements. Readers are encouraged to consult the cited primary sources directly before drawing conclusions.
Spotted an error, an omission, or relevant context? [email protected]
