Simon Chapman is professor in public health at the University of Sydney. A sociologist, he is  author of 13 books and major  reports, and over 350 papers in  peer reviewed journals. His latest book Public Health Advocacy and Tobacco Control: Making Smoking History will be published next month by Blackwells (Oxford). He is a regular writer on public health matters in leading Australian newspapers.

In 1997 he won the World Health Organisation's World No Tobacco Day Medal; in 1999, the National Heart Foundation of Australia’s gold medal;  in 2006 the Thoracic Society of Australia’s President’s  Award; and in 2003 he was voted by his international peers to be awarded the American Cancer Society’s Luther Terry Award for outstanding individual leadership in tobacco control.  In 2005, his research on the tobacco industry was selected by the NHMRC as being one of its “top 10” projects.  He has edited the British Medical Journal's specialist journal, Tobacco Control 1999-2007.

Competing Interests
Have you in the past five years accepted the following from an organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of papers in the BMJ?
a) Reimbursement for attending a symposium?
No
b) A fee for speaking?
No
c) A fee for organising education?
No
d) Funds for research?
No
e) Funds for a member of staff?
No
f) Fees for consulting?
No
Have you in the past five years been employed by any organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of papers in the BMJ?
No
a) Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation?
Yes, I own 150 shares in CSL Limited, an Australian vaccine company
b) Do you have any other competing financial interests?
No