Malboro maker Phillip Morris is getting a lot of attention for its assertion that it is trying to quit smoking in 2018. By placing large ads in major UK newspapers, the Big Tobacco group appears to be encouraging smokers to quit in time for the New Year. Is this good news for public health, or is the tobacco giant just trying to push customers towards its new HNB range?
For example, an ad wrote.
“Phillip Morris is known for cigarettes. And every year, many smokers quit. Now it’s our turn. Our goal is to stop selling cigarettes in the entire United States. It won’t be easy.”
Phillip Morris not only plans to stop selling cigarettes, but also plans to engage in community programs to promote the dangers of smoking. According to a spokesperson for the corporation, they have a comprehensive outreach plan.
Phillip Morris wants to create a new website to educate readers about the dangers of smoking.
The company also promises direct support with UK government smoking cessation facilities.
Representatives of Phillip Morris have written to Prime Minister Theresa May asking for a government reminder to be placed on every cigarette packet sold across the UK. The reminder would contain information on how to quit smoking.
Meanwhile, they also promised to expand the availability of smoking cessation products, including those using HNB technology.
According to the BBC, Phillips Morris claims to have spent £2.5 billion researching alternative tobacco products, and they think it's time for a change. So why doesn't Phillip Morris start selling cigarettes right away?
According to one article, Phillips Morris feared that if they pulled out, the market would fragment, and then some other company would take their place. They wanted to be part of the solution, not avoid the problem.
What is the purpose of Phillip Morris?
While their current goals may seem noble, some members of the WHO remain skeptical. The WHO recently rejected Phillip Morris’s request to create an anti-tobacco organization. Phillip Morris has also publicly opposed the policy of printing graphic warnings on cigarette packages. No wonder WHO representatives are skeptical of Phillip Morris’s sudden change.
Americans are also seeing a steady stream of TV and billboard ads sponsored by tobacco companies warning people about the dangers of smoking. But these ads are court-ordered, the result of a 1999 civil lawsuit that found Big Tobacco guilty of making money illegally.
Phillip Morris has been fighting and losing such lawsuits for decades, and not just in the US. After recently losing a white cigarette case in Australia, the company was forced to pay $10,000 million in damages. Meanwhile, Phillip Morris and BAT are about to face another lawsuit from the South Korean health insurance community.
What is the real goal of Phillip Morris' new advertising campaign? The truth remains unknown.
Source: Vapes.com - Matt Rowland
Translated by: The Vape Club
