[Intl-tobacco] Action on smuggling

[Robert Weissman]

If you want to take action to follow up on the recent revelations relating
to international tobacco smuggling, here are a couple suggestions:


1) Write a letter to Stephen Byers at the Department of Trade and Industry.

Points you might want to cover (in your own words):

+ you have seen some of the documents and coverage and are shocked/disturbed
by what they show
+ that smuggling undermines efforts of developing countries to control the
epidemic of smoking related-disease
+ point out that although the smuggling was happening abroad and BAT does
not do the smuggling itself, the company seems to be orchestrating it.  This
raises serious issues of corporate conduct and governance that are
appropriate matters for the DTI rather than HM Customs and Excise or other
arm of the government.
+ call for a DTI investigation and ask what he intends to do, if he doesn't
call an inquiry.

Rt. Hon Stephen Byers, MP
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
Department of Trade and Industry
1 Victoria St
London
SW1H 0ET
United Kingdom
Fax: 44-207-215-5468


2) Write to Kenneth Clarke calling for British America Tobacco to
immediately launch an internal investigation that will provide answers to
these serious allegations. Clarke as Deputy Chairman of BAT is the most
senior non-executive Director and is responsible for corporate governance
and the conduct of the executive management of the company.  Clarke was
former Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for Health.

Letters could have the following form:

+ you have seen the serious allegations and hope that BAT will act to stop
this if it is still going on
+ that as Deputy Chairman, Kenneth Clarke has a special responsibility to
supervise the actions of the company
+ what ihe intends to do if anything

Rt. Hon Kenneth Clarke, MP
Deputy Chairman
British American Tobacco
Globe House,
4 Temple Place
London
WC2R 2PG
United Kingdom
Fax: 44-207-845-2191

You can see what ASH UK, which helped uncover the smuggling documents,
said in its letters at www.ash.org.uk/smuggling.