The Times apologizes to GTNF health experts

The Times of London has apologized for suggesting that the public health advocates who participated in Tobacco Reporter’s recent Global Tobacco & Nicotine Forum are tainted by the influence of tobacco industry funding.

“The experts mentioned in our report […] are internationally respected for the longstanding global work to reduce smoking, and their work on the issue of nicotine harm reduction,” The Times wrote.

“Our report and a panel ‘Academics making a packet,’ implied that these experts had received funding for research into e-cigarettes.

“We accept that this was wrong and that their work has not been tainted by the influence of tobacco industry funding

“We apologize for our errors and omissions and for the embarrassment caused.”

The experts involved include Professor David Sweanor of the Faculty of Law and Centre for Health Law, Policy & Ethics and the University of Ottawa, Professor Karl Fagerstrom, who created the Fagerstrom Test for Cigarette Dependency, and Professor Riccardo Polosa, director of the institute for Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology at the University of Catania, and Clive Bates, former executive director of Action on Smoking and health.