The Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG) has received further funding to continue its work with global tobacco industry watchdog STOP. The new round of funding, which is part of a $420m global commitment to tobacco control announced in February by Bloomberg Philanthropies, will support TCRG’s tobacco industry research until December 2024.

Since being established in 2007, TCRG has become a global leader in tobacco control research, helping to change attitudes towards the tobacco industry and secure policy change nationally and globally. In 2021, TCRG received special recognition for its work from the Director General of the World Health Organization as part of the World No Tobacco Day Awards.

Speaking about the funding award, TCRG Director Professor Anna Gilmore said, “We are delighted to have secured a new round of funding to continue our work with STOP. The tobacco industry is the single greatest barrier to reducing tobacco use globally. This new funding will enable us to deliver the rigorous, independent research needed to understand how the industry seeks to influence health and policy, and to inform and support global tobacco control efforts. We look forward to working with colleagues around the world to deliver this work.”

Professor Sarah Hainsworth, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Bath added: “This significant funding will enable the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University to continue its important work examining Big Tobacco’s influences on public health here in the UK and internationally through the STOP network. For over a decade, the group’s work has been recognised for the significant impacts it has had in strengthening public health and reducing smoking rates. There is a big potential for future impact, which this funding will help to unlock.”

Dr Kelly Henning, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ public health programme, said “The Tobacco Control Research Group is one of the world’s leading research groups when it comes to studying the tobacco industry. Its insights into tobacco company behaviour can help policy makers better prepare for industry tactics that threaten to undermine public health.”

Notes
STOP is a global tobacco industry watchdog whose mission is to expose the tobacco industry tactics that undermine public health. Comprised of a network of academic and public health organisations, STOP researches and monitors the tobacco industry, shares intelligence to counter its tactics, and exposes its misdeeds to a global audience. STOP is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies as part of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use (BI).