In a move backed by doctors, ASH has published a report, "Tobacco Explained", which brings together documentation on the tobacco industry and groups it under headings such as smoking and health and passive smoking.

Tobacco bosses have refused to accept ASH's points up until now, but the campaign group says they are "crucial" in the justification of tobacco policy and are the main planks of legal cases against the industry.

The 10 points are:

• that smoking causes lung cancer and other fatal diseases
• that over 100,000 people die prematurely in the UK because of smoking
• that the industry is in the drug business "and that drug is nicotine"
• that nicotine is as addictive as heroin or cocaine
• that teenagers have been targeted by the industry
• that advertising increases the industry's revenue and causes harm
• that advertising can encourage young people to smoke
• that low tar cigarettes offer no real health benefit and give smokers false reassurance
• that passive smoking causes respiratory disease in children and lung cancer and heart disease in adults
• that manufacturers should make their products as safe as possible.

Clive Bates, director of ASH, says the report gives "a brilliant insight into what was going on inside the [tobacco] companies, and shows that the industry's public statements have been at sharp variance with its private knowledge and behaviour."

Called to account

ASH is calling on Health Secretary Frank Dobson to put the 10 points to the tobacco industry and bring it to account. It also urges the government to hold an inquiry into alleged corporate malpractice in the industry.

The British Medical Association is backing the report. Sir Alexander Macara, chairman of the BMA council, said: "ASH has performed a tremendous public service with this painstaking trawl through the tobacco industry's documents. The industry stands condemned in its own words."

Tessa Jowell stresses the need to protect children

And public health minister Tessa Jowell said the report showed the "gap between what the global tobacco industry knew privately and what they have said publicly".

"What this really underlines is the need to protect children," she added in reference to the government's attempts to ban tobacco advertising.