"[Doctors] are a political power and a group that helps influence policy," Wigand told CMAJ. "They must hold the tobacco industry accountable."

Wigand, the former head of research for the US tobacco giant Brown & Williamson, is becoming a familiar fixture in Canada. In the spring he addressed the Medical Society of Nova Scotia, and he was recently named a special adviser on smoking issues to federal Health Minister Allan Rock. One of his main responsibilities is to interpret documents unearthed during a series of US lawsuits. He also educates Rock and senior staff about the internal workings of tobacco companies. Rock says Wigand "gave us the key to some of industry's language and a thread to follow in fully understanding its internal objectives."