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Operating the smokescreen

Chris Proctor tells Kamran Abbasi why he works for the tobacco industry

"Haven't you sold your soul to the devil?" I ask Dr Chris Proctor, the head of science and regulation at British American Tobacco (BAT), one of the major tobacco companies. He smiles back at me. "I don't think I have, and my kids don't think I have," he reassures himself.

"I know there is a notion of how can you possibly work for a tobacco company, and my view is that as long as I do things that I believe in, as long as I do things to the highest ethical standards, I'm quite happy to work for this company. And I believe I do that."

But how do you sleep at night, Dr Proctor, knowing that your job is defending one of the biggest killers on the planet? "Everyone knows about the risk related . . . [Full text of this article]

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