TY - JOUR T1 - Worldwide news and comment JF - Tobacco Control JO - Tob Control SP - 399 LP - 401 DO - 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2022-057419 VL - 31 IS - 3 AU - Karen Evans-Reeves AU - John Baker Y1 - 2022/05/01 UR - http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/31/3/399.abstract N2 - All articles written by Karen Evans-Reeves and John Baker unless otherwise attributed. Ideas and items for News Analysis should be sent to k.a.evans-reeves@bath.ac.ukAfter initially stating that it would continue sales of its products in Russia, British American Tobacco announced its U-turn on Day 16 of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The company stated that it would stop selling its products to the Russian market after all. It claimed that its decision was in line with the company’s ‘ethos and values’. Many have been quick to criticise the company, first for not withdrawing shortly after the invasion began, as other companies did, and second, for its hypocrisy given that the company sells products that kill their consumers.Imperial Tobacco has also announced it will leave the Russian market, whilst at the time of writing, Japan Tobacco International and Philip Morris International have announced that they will suspend new investments but will continue operating, a move that has provoked criticism from tobacco control advocates. Whilst three of the big four own a relatively small proportion of the Russian market, JTI owns 37% of the market. Japan has reportedly agreed to join the US-led economic sanctions against Russia, but given that 30% of JTI is owned by the state, there is a clear conflict of interest if JTI continues to operate in Russia.In July 2021, the WHO released its latest global MPOWER report on the tobacco epidemic. These reports review tobacco control progress by countries since 2008, including China.MPOWER implementation progress is measured as complete, moderate, minimal, and no or weak policies. The WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic 2019 stated that China had not completed any of the six MPOWER policies. However progress was seen in 2021, where China received the following ratings: 1. Monitoring tobacco use … ER -