Tobacco Nexus is a project by Alistair Servet, journalist and editor at VapingPost, an independent international media outlet covering vaping, nicotine science and tobacco policy across French, English and Arabic. Its editorial line is explicitly independent of the tobacco industry — a position that directly informs the scope of this database. Tobacco Nexus maps the networks of companies, organisations, campaigns, events and individuals documented as connected to the world's five largest tobacco corporations: Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International, Imperial Brands, and Altria. Entities whose links span multiple companies or cannot be attributed to a single manufacturer are collected under a separate "Unattributed" view.
The primary source is TobaccoTactics (Tobacco Control Research Group, University of Bath). Additional sources include STOP, the Truth Tobacco Industry Documents archive (UCSF), The Guardian's free-market think tanks investigation, and a range of primary sources: corporate filings, official websites, the EU Transparency Register, LobbyFacts, SourceWatch, and ongoing journalistic research. Individual sources are cited on each entry.
Scope and methodology
An entity is included when at least one documented connection ties it to a tobacco manufacturer — through ownership, employment, financial contributions, contracted services, sponsorships, scientific collaboration, conference participation, or shared membership in industry-funded bodies. The nature and depth of each connection vary considerably: some entries document direct employment or paid mandates; others reflect more distant or circumstantial ties. Each card describes the specific documented link.
Inclusion reflects documentation, not editorial judgment on the conduct of the individuals or organisations concerned. Readers are encouraged to consult the cited primary sources directly before drawing conclusions.
How to read the data
- Sections describe the nature of the relationship: corporate structure (owned or controlled entities), hired services (directly paid contractors), allied organizations (industry-funded groups maintaining a façade of independence), campaigns, conferences & events, people — internal (current or former employees), people — external (individuals with documented but non-employment ties), and indirect link (connections passing through multiple intermediaries).
- Tags provide additional context about the type of entity or relationship: Employee / Former, Advocacy, Scientist, Politics, Industry, Services, Revolving Door (trajectory from public office to industry), CSR, Discontinued.
- Multiple company links indicate that an entity is connected to more than one manufacturer — typically through industry-wide bodies or multi-company funding arrangements. It appears under each relevant company.
- Sources are listed at the bottom of each card, separated by semicolons where multiple references were consulted.
Contact
Spotted an error, an omission, or relevant context? Contact Alistair Servet via VapingPost.
