The nicotine resource consortium, INC (formerly tobacco merchants association, INC.) was founded in 1915 to manage information relevant to the tobacco industry. The organization is an international trade association dedicated to providing industry information to its members, who include product manufacturers, industry suppliers, financial institutions, international LEAF dealers, distributors, and retailers involved in the tobacco industry and responds to public inquires for tobacco information from the media, government and academic institutions including students.the association does not lobby government.