An investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) has revealed that Detroit Pastor Rev. Horace Sheffield, a prominent Black civil rights activist, was offered as much as $250,000 to speak out against the proposed federal menthol ban in the United States (U.S.). Back in May 2022, Rev. Sheffield had written an editorial in support […]
Category: Tobacco Industry
Philip Morris International’s partnerships with local authorities in Europe violate Article 5.3 of the FCTC
Nefely Taravira, Louis Laurence and Filippos T Filippidis Article 5.3 of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) explicitly recommends that parties should not form partnerships with or participate in activities of the tobacco industry. Although more than 180 signatories have ratified the FCTC, including the European Union (EU) and all […]
Philip Morris and Vectura- an invasive growth
Nicholas Hopkinson Philip Morris International (PMI) products kill at least one million people per year. Its acquisition of Vectura, a company which specialises in inhaled medications, taken by many people who have lung disease caused or aggravated by smoking, is grotesque. The move has been widely condemned by professional and patient groups including the American […]
WHO FCTC Article 5.3 – A vaccine for curbing the tobacco pandemic
Mary Assunta & Jennie Lyn Reyes A powerful tool to protect governments from tobacco industry interference remains underutilised, while the tobacco industry stepped up its meddling in health policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the main finding of the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index (Index) which reviews government efforts in 80 countries to implement […]
Euromonitor approaches tobacco control academics on behalf of Philip Morris International- funded Foundation for a Smoke-Free World
Karen Evans-Reeves and John Baker As many will be aware from an earlier blog post, in March 2019, the market research organisation Euromonitor International, which describes itself as “the world’s leading independent provider of strategic market research”, accepted funding from Phillip Morris International initiatives, namely the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World and PMI IMPACT. In the past […]
“BAT in Blood”: British American Tobacco in Belarus
Last month, the US, UK and Canada announced sanctions targeting individuals and entities understood to be financing Belarussian dictator Alexander Lukashenko. This legislation follows similar action from the EU in June. These sanctions build on reports of police violence against protesters, mass arrests and even torture, with a U.N. official comparing Belarus to a ‘totalitarian’ […]
Smuggling Networks Linked to China Tobacco Revealed in OCCRP Investigative Series
Charles Turner The China National Tobacco Corporation has grown into the world’s biggest cigarette company by feeding the addiction of China’s approximately 300 million smokers. But now the state-owned giant is ready to take over the rest of the globe. Since jumping on China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” in 2015, CNTC brands have increasingly been […]
World: Advocates end Philip Morris International’s involvement in international events
Mary Assunta On May 20-21, heads of state and dignitaries from Southeast and South Asia gathered virtually to discuss the post-COVID “Future of Asia” at Nikkei’s flagship annual event. The conference was tobacco industry-free, thanks to a concerted effort by health and tobacco control advocates. Philip Morris Japan (PMJ) had been named as a main sponsor, with […]
As we reflect on COVID-19’s toll, the US must also act on the tobacco pandemic
John Maa and Jeff Wigand On February 22, 2021, the United States paused to honor the tragic milestone of 500,000 COVID-19 deaths, just one year and 16 days after the first fatality was recorded in California. The peak of 5,427 new US deaths reported on Feb 12, 2021 exceeded the 4,414 Allied deaths at Normandy […]
Who should we trust on science diplomacy and COVID-19 recovery? Not Big Tobacco
Alice Fabbri, Louis Laurence, Mateusz Zatoński, Anna B Gilmore On April 20th the magazine Foreign Policy will hold a Virtual Dialogue on “Science Diplomacy”. The event will focus on “elevating the role of science in addressing global challenges” including recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the event’s aims is to “energize international cooperation on […]