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Call to Governments Worldwide

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The prospect of a breakup of Altria that would split Philip Morris USA and Philip Morris International into separate companies raises significant concerns about how an independent Philip Morris International will operate. Decisions that Philip Morris International makes will have major public health ramifications:

• Tobacco is a uniquely harmful product, which kills consumers when used as intended;
  
  
• The World Health Organization estimates that 10 million people will die annually from tobacco-related disease by 2030, 70 percent in developing countries;
  
  
• The combined Philip Morris is the world's largest tobacco multinational;
  
  
• Measured by units, 80 percent of Philip Morris' sales are outside of the United States.

Last year, over 100 organizations in 50 countries asked Philip Morris International and its subsidiaries to make commitments -- in advance of a breakup -- to ensure that the separation of Philip Morris International and Philip Morris USA does not worsen the tobacco epidemic. To date, Philip Morris has declined to agree to these demands.

We therefore call on governments worldwide to take the following actions, through regulations and legislation:

1. Ratify and strongly implement the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, including by ending all advertising and marketing of tobacco products; ending the use of misleading and deceptive terms such as "mild," "light" and "low"; and instituting large, graphic warnings.

2. Ban the tobacco industry from lobbying or working -- directly or indirectly through sponsored organizations or otherwise -- on any national or subnational legislative or regulatory proposals to ratify the FCTC and/or implement the terms of the FCTC.

3. Ban the tobacco industry from lobbying or working -- directly or indirectly through sponsored organizations or otherwise -- against legislation or regulation requiring 100 percent smokefree places.

4. Exclude tobacco products from bilateral and multilateral trade and investment agreements, so that the tobacco industry can not invoke provisions of such agreements to challenge any tobacco control-related law or regulation.

5. Adopt comprehensive anti-tobacco smuggling measures, at least as stringent as the provisions included in the European Union agreement with Philip Morris settling the EU’s lawsuit against the company.

6. Require the tobacco industry to fully disclose all political contributions, lobbying costs, and charitable/educational donations.

7. Require the tobacco industry to fully disclose all advertising and marketing expenditures -- as the company now is required to do in the United States.

8. Ban the tobacco industry from sponsoring "youth smoking prevention programs."

9. Ban the tobacco industry from directly or indirectly placing tobacco products or promoting depictions of smoking in movies or other media. Implement, as appropriate, the four smokefree policy measures endorsed by the World Health Organization. *

VIEW LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE
SIGNED ON TO THE ABOVE CALL

* Philip Morris USA is prohibited from paying for product placements in movies and other media by the U.S. Master Settlement Agreement, but this does not apply to Philip Morris International. Philip Morris International states in its marketing code that it will not pay for product placement, but it does not address: indirect efforts to facilitate product placement; direct or indirect placement of unbranded tobacco products; or direct or indirect efforts to promote smoking in movies or other media. The four smokefree policy measures are available online at: http://smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu/solution/.