Operation Berkshire
Operation Berkshire is the name of a program initiated in 1976 by seven of the world's major tobacco companies aimed at promoting "controversy" over smoking and disease. == Description == At the invitation of Tony Garrett, the Chairman of Imperial Tobacco, the CEOs of the tobacco companies met in secret in June 1977 at Shockerwick House in the United Kingdom "to develop a defensive smoking and health strategy, to avoid our countries and/or companies being picked off one by one, with a resultant domino effect." They agreed to create a front organization, the International Committee on Smoking Issues (ICOSI) (renamed the International Tobacco Information Centre, INFOTAB, in 1981), which operated through an internationally coordinated network of national manufacturers' associations to delay measures for tobacco control.