Tobacco.org

• 1980s 'safer cigarette' research opposed: former executive  

A former president of Imperial Tobacco Canada says the company's largest shareholder attempted to stop an effort to develop safer cigarettes.

Jean-Louis Mercier testified Thursday in the $2-billion class-action lawsuit against Canada's tobacco industry, which was launched by Quebec smokers.

Mercier said in the 1980s he came up with an idea after reading a report by the surgeon general of the United States. The report found tar and nicotine were among the cancer-causing agents in cigarettes.

The former president said he figured cigarettes would become safer if they contained lower amounts of the two carcinogens, so he spearheaded an internal study to try to develop a safer cigarette.

But Mercier said Imperial Tobacco Canada's largest shareholder, British American Tobacco, opposed the effort. He said BAT's chairman at the time sent a letter indicating ITC's research was risky.

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British American Tobacco Buys 50,000 Own Shares To Hold In Treasury 

• Top European Executives See Innovation as Key to Growth 

At a time when growth is at a greater premium than ever, investors appreciate such initiatives. All of these executives win top billing within their industries in the 2012 All-­Europe Executive Team, Institutional Investor’s exclusive annual ranking of the best European CEOs, CFOs, investor relations professionals and IR teams. II surveyed 825 buy-side and 1,470 sell-side analysts from nearly 600 firms and asked them to vote for the best executives in their sectors.

EADS and ASML Holding, a Dutch maker of equipment for producing semiconductors, top this year’s ranking. Their CEOs, CFOs, IR professionals and IR teams each win first-place honors from both buy- and sell-side analysts. Trailing only slightly behind, U.K. media giant Pearson and metals and mining company Xstrata of Switzerland come in first place in seven categories. British American Tobacco (BAT), French luxury group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and German software provider SAP tie for fifth place by claiming first in six categories. . . .

Much the same may be said of consumer products companies’ need to deliver something new, even those making the addictive type. Tobacco products maker BAT’s most prestigious brand, Dunhill, is growing thanks in part to Reloc, a resealable pack that helps to keep the contents fresher, according to CEO Nicandro Durante, who is voted best chief executive in the Tobacco sector by both sets of analysts. Durante says innovations account for 12 percent of BAT’s total sales and more than one third of those of its four leading brands. Kent, which he describes as “our most innovative brand,” includes a version called Convertibles that contain a menthol-­flavored capsule that can be pinched at any time when smoking to release that taste. A feature called Click & Roll in Lucky Strike uses similar technology. Those innovations helped the three brands plus BAT’s other leader, Pall Mall, grow revenue by 9 percent in 2011. The four now account for roughly one third of the company’s total of £15.4 billion.

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Overview  

the firms that ranked highest in Institutional Investor’s 2012 All-Europe Executive Team represent a group of heavyweight firms that are managing the recent challenges just fine, according to the buy-side and sell-side analysts who voted in our exclusive ranking of the continent’s best CEOs, CFOs, and investor relations professionals and teams.

These are firms that find a way to be buoyed by their reach into fast-growing regions and markets outside Europe yet unhindered by global scale. They are positioning — in some cases transforming — their businesses to generate steady streams of shareholder value.

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Most Honored Companies  

51 British American Tobacco

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Tobacco firm says tax regime favouring rival 

JT International SA v Commonwealth of Australia; British American Tobacco Australasia Limited & Ors v The Commonwealth of Australia [2012] HCATrans 92 (18 April 2012) 

JT International SA v Commonwealth of Australia; British American Tobacco Australasia Limited & Ors v The Commonwealth of Australia [2012] HCATrans 93 (19 April 2012) 

• JT International SA v Commonwealth of Australia; British American Tobacco Australasia Limited & Ors v The Commonwealth of Australia [2012] HCATrans 91 (17 April 2012) 

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Speech by Richard Burrows, Chairman at the British American Tobacco p.l.c. 2012 Annual General Meeting 

Interim management statement for the three months ended 31 March 2012 

Plain packaging in the United Kingdom 

The British government has announced the start of a consultation on the introduction of plain packaging of tobacco products. We fully support a fair and open public consultation where everyone's views can be heard – and we strongly urge the Government to recognise the serious unintended consequences these proposals could have.

At the heart of the pro-plain packaging campaign is the belief that it will give children “one less reason to start smoking.”

We believe that tobacco products are only suitable for adult consumers and we do not want children to smoke. However, we think plain packaging will actually make cigarettes easier for children to buy.

A windfall for counterfeiters

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Plain Packaging – Our View 

We are strongly opposed to the plain packaging of tobacco products. The possible consequences of plain tobacco packaging are very serious:

* While we support the government tobacco control programmes focussing on education and awareness, there is no proof that plain tobacco packaging will have any effect on smoking uptake.

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• Big Tobacco backs Australian law opposers ($$) 

- FT.com PMI said the company was openly supporting governments that challenged Australia on plain packaging.

“We have been in contact with many of these countries, including on the trade and legal issues associated with the [plain packaging] policy,” it said. “It is commonplace for affected industries to support countries in WTO disputes and we are open to supporting governments that challenge Australia on plain packaging.”

BAT said the company was happy to provide legal support to member states, but it was “up to them” to accept it.

However, the news drew a sharp response from anti-tobacco campaigners.

“It is very concerning that tobacco companies are using legal action as a delaying tactic against a government that is trying to protect the health of its citizens,” said Robin Hewings, tobacco control manager for Cancer Research UK.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of the London-based Action on Smoking and Health, accused the tobacco companies of “getting others to do their dirty work”.

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RPT-UPDATE 1-BAT Q1 volumes edge up 0.7 percent