According to a recent report by The Guardian, Philip Morris International (PMI) has been accused of "manipulating science for profit" through funding scientific research and advocacy work.
Activists say that leaked documents from PMI and its Japanese subsidiary also reveal their plans to target politicians, doctors, and the marketing strategy for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in order to attract non-smokers to use their heated tobacco product, IQOS.
Japan is the initial market for IQOS, with the tobacco industry watchdog organization Stopping Tobacco Organisations and Products (Stop) stating concerns that PMI may apply this strategy to other markets.
A research report from the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath in the UK has revealed that Philip Morris Japan (PMJ) funded a smoking cessation study at Kyoto University through a third-party research institution.
Despite a spokesperson for PMI stating that its participation was announced at the 2021 Greek Science Conference, researchers claim that they have been unable to find any public records of PMI's involvement.
The PMJ pays approximately £20,000 per month to FTI-Innovations, a life science consulting company managed by a professor from the University of Tokyo, to promote PMI's science and products in academic activities. An internal email from a PMJ employee stated that they were instructed to "keep it confidential.
This paper, published in the Journal of Nicotine and Tobacco Research, is based on 24 leaked company documents from the years 2012 to 2020.
Researchers say that
These activities are similar to known strategies that influence the research, publication, and dissemination of science, while concealing scientific activity.
One of the authors of the paper, Dr. Sophie Braznell, stated that
The manipulation of science for profit has harmed all of us, especially policymakers and consumers trying to make potentially life-changing decisions. This has hindered and undermined public health policies, while encouraging the widespread use of harmful products.
Brazier argued that the leaked documents undermined the PMI's claim of conducting "transparent science" and called for reforms in the funding and governance of tobacco research "to protect science from corporate interests.
In a separate report based on leaked documents, Stop claimed that PMJ appeared to be lobbying for permission to use IQOS in smoke-free areas for their company marketing activities.
Stop indicates that organizations including medical and hospitality groups, as well as the Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency, have been targeted as supporters, "if supported, it could give the impression that IQOS is widely accepted."
The focus on the Tokyo Olympics reflects a known industry strategy in sports events to promote addictive and harmful tobacco products by associating them with health, misleading consumers, and targeting children and young people. STOP Director Jorge Alday stated that the investigation results contradict PMI's claim that IQOS is only intended for adult smokers.
The intention of PMI with IQOS seems to far exceed what they have claimed. This finding adds weight to doubts about PMI's intentions and product statements.
Alarming is the implication of a wider deceptive strategy pattern, which may lay the foundation for a new chapter in the tobacco epidemic.
A spokesperson for PMI stated that
This is yet another false story from an organization that is more focused on criticizing our company rather than helping reduce the harms of smoking. Like any highly regulated multinational company, PMI regularly shares our positions on issues that impact our consumers, company, and communities. This engagement is not only completely legal and appropriate, but also crucial for inclusive policy making that leads to better policy outcomes.
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