Silvy Peeters
Research funding
Silvy’s current post is funded by the National Cancer Institute US National Institutes of Health . Previously, Silvy was involved in the Pricing Policies and Control of Tobacco in Europe (PPACTE) project, funded by the European Commission Seventh Framework Grant Agreement HEALTH-F2-2009-223323.
Profile
Silvy joined the Tobacco Control Research Group in 2010. Her research focuses on tobacco companies approach to tobacco harm reduction and potentially less harmful tobacco products. Harm reduction has become increasingly prominent as a potential approach to tobacco control policy to help smokers, unable or unwilling to quit, move towards less hazardous forms of nicotine, ideally resulting in them ultimately quitting nicotine altogether. In Europe the harm reduction debate has focused on possibly legalising a smokeless tobacco product called snus.
Silvy’s research aims to explore tobacco companies’ strategies to develop and market potentially less hazardous tobacco and nicotine products, in particular snus, and understand what the rationale behind the development may be, for the short and long term. This includes exploring the relationship, if any, with a contracting cigarette market, an increase in public place smoking bans, and a growing corporate social responsibility agenda. While exploring these issues, strategic variations by company are also considered. The research is primarily based on qualitative analysis of previously secret tobacco industry documents, linked with analysis of contemporary materials including annual reports, investor relations materials, tobacco industry journals, market research reports, press coverage etc.
Silvy was one of three recipients of the 2012 World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) Young Investigator Awards.
Research interests
- Tobacco industry interests in promoting harm reduction
- TTC motives and tactics to expand sales of snus in Europe
- Marketing and promotion of snus and snus use via the internet, including social media
- Tobacco industry influence on EU and national tobacco policy
Publications
Articles
Peeters, S. and Gilmore, A., 2013. How online sales and promotion of snus contravenes current European Union legislation. Tobacco Control, 22, pp. 266-273.
Fooks, G. J., Peeters, S. and Evans-Reeves, K., 2013. Forthcoming. Illicit trade, tobacco industry-funded studies and policy influence in the EU and UK. Tobacco Control
Peeters, S. and Evans, K., 2012. Russia: snus targeted at young & wealthy. Tobacco Control, 21 (5), pp. 456-457.
Bialous, S. A. and Peeters, S., 2012. A brief overview of the tobacco industry in the last 20 years. Tobacco Control, 21 (2), pp. 92-94.
Fooks, G. and Peeters, S., 2011. World: Disasters are 'brand aid' opportunities for Tobacco. Tobacco Control, 20 (1), p. 4.
Conference or Workshop Items
Peeters, S., Clements, A. and Gilmore, A. B., 2012. How the Internet undermines EU tobacco control legislation: online snus marketing and promotion. In: World Conference Tobacco or Health (WCTOH), 2012-03-20 - 2012-03-24, Singapore.
Peeters, S. and Gilmore, A. B., 2012. Understanding the tobacco industry’s real interests in smokeless tobacco and harm reduction in order to inform policy. In: World Conference Tobacco or Health (WCTOH), 2012-03-20 - 2012-03-24, Singapore.
Peeters, S. and Gilmore, A. B., 2011. Snus online sales in the European Union: Contravention of the 2001 Tobacco Products Directive. In: European Conference Tobacco or Health (ECTOH), 2011-03-28 - 2011-03-30, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
