British Museum ends 'troubling' Japanese tobacco firm sponsorship

The British Museum has ended a controversial sponsorship deal with a Japanese tobacco firm, which some critics have said was “deeply troubling”, after reports the government had raised questions about it.

- Lanre Bakare

The Guardian understands the museum’s board chose not to renew the 15-year partnership with Japan Tobacco International (JTI), which ended in September.

The pressure group Culture Unstained submitted a freedom of information request earlier this year, which it says revealed correspondence sent in January in which the government raised questions about the details of the deal.

The Times reported that the Department of Health and Social Care told the Department for Culture, Media and Sport that the deal could be a breach of the World Health Organization’s framework convention on tobacco control (FCTC), which bars states from advertising and promoting smoking products.