Embargo: 00:01 Friday 18 May  2001

BMJEditor dumps Nottingham University in reader uprising against British AmericanTobacco sponsorship

ASH applauded the decision ofRichard Smith ­ editor of the British Medical Journal - to resign from his postas professor of medical journalism at Nottingham University in protest at theUniversity's decision to accept £3.8 million sponsorship from British AmericanTobacco.  BAT is funding an“International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility”. 

The BMJ established a pollamong its readers which asked two questions: whether the Nottingham Universitywas right to accept the donation, and whether Richard Smith should resign hispost.  With over a thousand responses, thedecision to accept the money was condemned by a large majority (85:15), butthere was a closer vote on whether he should resign (55:45).  Voters were divided on whether he shouldfight from the inside, or pull out in protest See BMJ feature, the cases forand against and voting on the BMJ web site. [1]

The condemnation of BAT andthe university is unambiguous and richly deserved, and backed up by testimonyof BMJ readers.  But ASH believes thatthough there are arguments both ways on resignation, the readers were right tosupport his resignation.  ASH DirectorClive Bates said:

“We think he hasdone the right thing by pulling out.  The University establishment is not interested in the arguments or indefending its decision, and they made a feeble case for taking BAT's money. TheVice-Chancellor simply repeats that it's all a difference of opinion.”

“He would havebeen right to stay and make the case, but no-one was listening. Nobody capableof making a decision was remotely interested in an open exploration of theissues or the wider consequences for the University's reputation.  They just want the money to pile in and thecontroversy to go away.”

ASH has been campaigning forthe university to return the money since the announcement was made in Decemberlast year.  There has been worldwidecondemnation of the move and protests on campus.  Our web site contains fulldetails of the campaign.[2] 

“You couldn'treally make it up” said Bates, “BAT is one of the most irresponsible andanti-social companies in the world.  Auniversity that is prepared to let them fund a centre in corporate socialresponsibility must be so blinded by greed that they are unable to recognisethe absurdity and emptiness of their arguments. 

“Obviously it ishard to regard Nottingham as a seat of learning or centre of academicexcellence when the people in running the place are aggressively impervious tothe facts, analysis and argument that destroy the credibility of the decisionto take money from BAT.”

[1] http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/322/7294/1118 

[2] http://www.ash.org.uk/html/numenu.html

Contact: Clive Bates, 020 7739 5902 (w) 077 6879 1237 (m) 020 8800 1336(h) or Karl Brookes at ASH