Kristin Byrkje is a special adviser at the Norwegian Cancer Society (NCS). A tobacco-free world is one of NCS’ strategic goals. Kristin is responsible for the tobacco control work at NCS. She has more than 17 years experience in tobacco control, covering areas such as advocacy work, strategic planning and policy making, media work, project development and project management. She was headhunted by the Norwegian Directorate of Health to contribute to drafting a national tobacco control strategy (A Future Without Tobacco, 2013 - 2016) at the Ministry of Health and Care Services. She contributed with expertise in connection with two legal cases, Philip Morris versus Norway (2012) and Swedish Match versus Norway (2017) where NCS intervened to support the State. She is active in the Nordic Tobacco Control Network.
Previously she was a communications officer at the National Association for Heart and Lung Diseases and she has also worked as a journalist for several Norwegian newspapers. Kristin is a trained journalist and Candidata Magisterii (Sociology/English).