Rob Branston

@JRBranston

Associate Professor in Business Economics in the School of Management and Co-Director of the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath, UK.

Bath, England researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/rob… Joined October 2013

115 Following 212 Followers 115 Posts

Latest posts 5

Rob Branston @JRBranston Oct 16, 2025

My new paper with @MinKuang_Tsai looks at the impact of COVID travel bans on duty-free tobacco sales in #Taiwan. Not being able to access cheap #dutyfree meant less #tobacco sold, a win for public health. Time for duty-free tobacco to be banned!
doi.org/10.1136/tc-202…

Rob Branston @JRBranston Jul 15, 2025

Delighted to report that Dr Allen Gallagher (@AllenGallagher_) and I have been appointed as Co-Directors of the Tobacco Control Research Group (@BathTR) at the University of Bath (@UniofBath). We aim to continue the great that the team has done to date!
bath.ac.uk/announcements/…

www.bath.ac.uk TCRG announces new Co-Directors as part of wider structural changes TCRG names Dr Rob Branston and Dr Allen Gallagher as Co-Directors, reflecting leadership changes under the newly formed Centre for 21st Century Public Health

Rob Branston @JRBranston May 16, 2025

My new paper in @TC_BMJ with @ZainebDanish
@kevinmwelding @Lilia_Olefir looks at #HTP taxes and prices in Ukraine. We find they used similar pricing tactics to combustion cigarettes and that lower HTP taxes were just a subsidy for the #tobacco industry tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/…

Rob Branston @JRBranston May 12, 2025

Producing #tobacco products is hugely profitable. Wholesale price caps & a #polluterpays levy could stop the industry making so much, increase government tax revenues & stop the industry selling with price. Public health + government finances both win! tinyurl.com/mt5fb5bs

Rob Branston @JRBranston Apr 4, 2025

Great new blog by Mark Lloyd - policy head at RSA/ex economic and fiscal policy in @hmtreasury and No10 - adding his voice to our work that calls for a new scheme to fix the price of #tobacco products and apply a #polluterpays levy to raise £700m annually
smf.co.uk/commentary_pod…

www.smf.co.uk Time to levy the indefensible profits of Big Tobacco | SMF Rachel Reeves does not want to increase taxes again. This much is clear from the Spring Statement where, rather than raise revenues to ease the new pressures on the public finances, the Chancellor...