J Robert Branston | Lightnews

Action on Smoking Health (UK) @ashorguk.bsky.social · 14d

Today, Peers meet again to debate the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

One key area for debate today is the polluter pays levy on tobacco manufacturers, a measure that could generate £700 million a year 💷🚭

NHMRC CRE on Achieving the Tobacco Endgame @cretobacco.bsky.social · 14d

📣 Join us for our next #TobaccoEndgame CRE #Webinar on 🚭 tobacco product price caps! Dr Rob Branston will present 'A new avenue for tobacco control: price cap regulation'.
📆Wednesday, 12 November
⏰9:00am AEST
🔗 tobacco-endgame.centre.uq.edu.au/event/sessio...
@robbranston.bsky.social

Dr J Robert Branston @robbranston.bsky.social · 24d

Very happy to have been a co-signatory on this complaint letter to the BBC

Centre for 21st Century Public Health @ University of Bath @centre21cpubhealth.bsky.social · 24d

🧵 (1/3)

The @centre21cpubhealth.bsky.social has submitted a formal complaint to the BBC following its recent publication of podcast and news content which featured a tobacco industry executive.

Centre for 21st Century Public Health @ University of Bath @centre21cpubhealth.bsky.social · 24d

(3/3)

Our recommendation is that the content be reviewed and, if found to be in breach, taken down. We would also recommend that the BBC exercises caution in future when deciding whether to engage with the tobacco industry and its representatives.

Read our complaint letter to the BBC below 👇

Centre for 21st Century Public Health @ University of Bath @centre21cpubhealth.bsky.social · 24d

(2/3)

We believe that by giving a powerful platform to a tobacco company, this content breached the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines on impartiality and related standards.

Centre for 21st Century Public Health @ University of Bath @centre21cpubhealth.bsky.social · 24d

🧵 (1/3)

The @centre21cpubhealth.bsky.social has submitted a formal complaint to the BBC following its recent publication of podcast and news content which featured a tobacco industry executive.

Dr J Robert Branston @robbranston.bsky.social · 28d

My new paper looks at the impact of COVID travel restrictions on the sale of duty-free tobacco products in #Taiwan. Not being able to access cheap #dutyfree meant less #tobacco sold, a win for public health. Time for duty-free tobacco to be banned!
doi.org/10.1136/tc-2...

Effect of eliminating the sale of duty-free tobacco products: a natural experiment during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, 2020–2023

Introduction Amidst the global effort to curb cross-border transmission of COVID-19, numerous nations enforced international travel restrictions. One example is Taiwan, which witnessed an 85%–90% redu...

doi.org

Dr J Robert Branston @robbranston.bsky.social · Jul 15

Delighted to report that @allengallagher.bsky.social and I
have been appointed as Co-Directors of the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath. We aim to continue the great work that @tcrgbath.bsky.social has done to date!

www.bath.ac.uk/announcement...

TCRG announces new Co-Directors as part of wider structural changes

TCRG names Dr Rob Branston and Dr Allen Gallagher as Co-Directors, reflecting leadership changes under the newly formed Centre for 21st Century Public Health

www.bath.ac.uk

Dr J Robert Branston @robbranston.bsky.social · May 16

My new paper with @zainebdanish.bsky.social @johnshopkinssph.bsky.social @partnershipfree.bsky.social on #HTP taxes/prices in Ukraine. We find similar pricing tactics to combustion cigs and that lower HTP taxes were just a subsidy for the #tobacco industry tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/earl...

Examining cigarette, heated tobacco and e-cigarette market pricing and tax pass-through in Ukraine during the 2019–2022 tax reforms

Introduction This study offers a comprehensive examination of the pricing strategies/dynamics used by the tobacco/nicotine industry in response to tax increases using Ukraine as a case study during th...

tobaccocontrol.bmj.com

Dr J Robert Branston @robbranston.bsky.social · May 12

Producing #tobacco products is hugely profitable. Wholesale price caps & a #polluterpays levy could stop the industry making so much from a deadly product, increase government tax revenues, and stop the industry selling with price. Public health + government finances both win! tinyurl.com/mt5fb5bs

Tackling tobacco pricing

How a proposed new levy could help to hit tobacco manufacturer' profits and reduce tobacco use.

tinyurl.com

Dr J Robert Branston @robbranston.bsky.social · Apr 4

Great new blog by Mark Lloyd - Head of Policy at the RSA / former economic and fiscal policy in HM Treasury and No10 - adding his voice to our work that calls for a new scheme to fix the price of tobacco products and apply a #polluterpays levy to raise £700m annually

www.smf.co.uk/commentary_p...

Time to levy the indefensible profits of Big Tobacco | SMF

Rachel Reeves does not want to increase taxes again. This much is clear from the Spring Statement where, rather than raise revenues to ease the new pressures on the public...

www.smf.co.uk

Dr J Robert Branston @robbranston.bsky.social · Apr 4

APPG report just out calls for 10 measures to make #smoking obsolete in the UK within 20 years. It adopts our work and joins calls for the introduction of a #polluterpays levy to limit industry prices and raise £700 million a year from the #tobaccoindustry

ash.org.uk/resources/vi...

A Roadmap to a Smokefree Country: No one starts, everyone stops, no profit in tobacco - ASH

A Roadmap to a Smokefree Country – published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health in April 2025 – sets out the urgent actions needed to end smoking in a generation, cut health in...

ash.org.uk

Action on Smoking Health (UK) @ashorguk.bsky.social · Mar 27

🎉Last night MPs voted to pass the historic Tobacco and Vapes Bill which will phase out the sale of tobacco to the next generation, protecting children from the harms of smoking.

Dr J Robert Branston @robbranston.bsky.social · Feb 18

#taxation is one of the key tools to address tobacco use, and in the EU this is governed by the tobacco tax directive #TTD. In my new @ijdrugpolicy.bsky.social paper with Prof López-Nicolás/Dr Ross, we evaluate leaked proposal for reform, finding enhancements not perfection
doi.org/10.1016/j.dr...

Image showing people with linked arms and a caption that reads as "To safeguard citizens' health, the new European Commission must prioritise renewing the TTD with public health at its core, embedding these proposed fiscal measures into the directive

Dr J Robert Branston @robbranston.bsky.social · Feb 12

Delighted to have been involved with this really important project.

Tobacco Control Research Group @tcrgbath.bsky.social · Feb 12

(1/2) A 🆕 report indicates inconsistencies between the amount of #cigarettes produced and the #tax paid by BATK, British American Tobacco’s Kenyan subsidiary.

www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/missing-millions-a-cross-examination-of-british-american-tobacco-kenyas-tax-bill/

“Tobacco industry tax exploitation and avoidance in Africa is nothing new. These latest findings once again show an inconsistency between what tobacco companies declare and what they actually do.”

Tobacco Control Research Group @tcrgbath.bsky.social · Feb 12

(2/2) The report by The Investigative Desk with support from Tax Justice Network Africa and the Tobacco Control Research Group suggests there could be a tax discrepancy of up to $28 million.

Tobacco Control Research Group @tcrgbath.bsky.social · Feb 12

(1/2) A 🆕 report indicates inconsistencies between the amount of #cigarettes produced and the #tax paid by BATK, British American Tobacco’s Kenyan subsidiary.

www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/missing-millions-a-cross-examination-of-british-american-tobacco-kenyas-tax-bill/

Dr J Robert Branston @robbranston.bsky.social · Feb 11

A very helpful resource for someone new to Bluesky. Thank you for putting it together Marita! @mhef.bsky.social

Smoke Free Partnership @partnershipfree.bsky.social · Feb 11

💪Strong words from Commissioner Hoekstra in FISC!

On Feb 6, @wopkehoekstra.ec.europa.eu called for stricter tobacco control, higher taxes & fairer taxation for new products across the EU. 💪🔥

Great to see the Commissioner stepping up! We look forward to the revision of the TTD. 🚭

Tobacco Control Research Group @tcrgbath.bsky.social · Feb 11

✨ Episode five of our podcast Deadly Industry: Challenging Big Tobacco is out now.

Dr. Allen Gallagher joins Louis to lift the lid on #illicittrade in tobacco including how #BigTobacco is involved and how it can be tackled.

Listen: shows.acast.com/deadly-indus...

#NewPodcast #DeadlyIndustryPod

The University of Bath @uniofbath.bsky.social · Feb 7

Discover the ground-breaking research of The University's @tcrgbath.bsky.social with their new podcast.

In this gripping 8-episode series, hosted by TCRG investigative researcher Louis Laurence, you'll dive deep into the tobacco industry's pursuit of profit, at the expense of public health

New podcast digs into Tobacco Industry tactics in pursuit of profit over health

The Tobacco Control Research Group releases its new podcast series, Deadly Industry: Challenging Big Tobacco

buff.ly

Tobacco Control Research Group @tcrgbath.bsky.social · Feb 4

✨ Episode four of Deadly Industry: Challenging Big Tobacco is out now.

In this episode, Dr. Rob Branston discusses all things money with Louis including the vast profitability of the #tobaccoindustry and how #tobaccotax works.

Listen: www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/de...

#NewPodcast #DeadlyIndustryPod

Add to Home Screen

Light up
your news

Add to Home Screen

Light upyour news

Sign in to Lightnews

Sign up to start reading

Connect Bluesky

Connect with Bluesky

Light up
your news