Tobacco Documents Online

Philip Morris Corporate Affairs Europe Smoking Restrictions 3 Year Plan 940000 - 960000

Abstract

This strategic plan by Philip Morris (PM) Corporate Affairs Department in Europe describes PM's strategies for fighting the progression of smoke-free laws in Europe between 1994 and 1996. PM labeled as "threats" both voluntary and legislated smoking restrictions in workplaces, public places and on public transport, as well as conferences held to discuss smoking and health. PM's "overall objectives" were to protect smoking as a permitted activity, prevent legislation the company believed was adverse to its interests, "promote private sector policies that accommodate smokers" and "mitigate [the] impact of [International Agency for Research on Cancer] ETS study," which PM anticipated would mirror conclusions already reached in the U.S. that exposure to secondhand smoke was harmful.

PM's attack plan included delaying smoking restrictions within the European Community (EC), "locking in" the company's own model legislation in multiple countries, promoting policies that preserve smoking in workplaces, "pre-empting sub-national bans with suitable national legislation," creating an information bureau in Brussels, Belgium to "counteract pressure of antis" by "disseminating favourable views" about tobacco, creating additional smokers' rights groups in Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands and Greece, and increasing assistance to existing groups already set up in Denmark and the United Kingdom. Other activities included portraying U.S. efforts to control where people can smoke to the European media as "extremist, indicative of intolerance and health fascism," defeating an EC directive to eliminate smoking from public transport, and much, much more.

This document reveals not only the extent of PM's corporate strategies to fight public health efforts in Europe, but also demonstrates the depth of this American company's intent to interfere in European affairs.

Fields

Quotes

I. THE EUROPEAN CONTEXT

RESULTS OF PM BENCHMARK 1992 SHOW : - SMOKERS UNDER.HIGH AND INCREASING DEGREE OF SOCIAL PRESSURE: 57% OF SMOKERS FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN SMOKING AROUND NON-SMOKERS - NON-SMOKERS PERCEIVE HEALTH RISK: 86% OF POPULATION BELIEVES ETS TO BE HARMFUL - GROWING SUPPORT FOR RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLIC SMOKING : 79% SUPPORT SMOKING BANS IN INDOOR PUBLIC PLACES AND 60% THINK THAT SMOKING SHOULD BE RESTRICTED BY LAW

II. THREATS AND TRENDS

1. EUROPEAN COMMUNITY '89 COUNCIL RESOLUTION TO BAN SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES (HORECA EXCLUDED)

--'89 DIRECTIVE ON HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE "IN REST ROOMS AND REST AREAS APPROPRIATE MEASURES MUST BE INTRODUCED FOR THE PROTECTION OF NON-SMOKERS AGAINST DISCOMFORT CAUSED BY TOBACCO SMOKE"

- '93 PROPOSED DIRECTIVE TO BAN SMOKING ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT (TO PROTECT WORKERS)

- '95 STRICTER RESOLUTION ON PUBLIC PLACE SMOKING BANS LIKELY

- '95 POTENTIAL DIRECTIVE ON SMOKING IN THE WORKPLACE

2. MEMBER STATES - TREND TOWARDS LEGISLATIVE SMOKING RESTRICTIONS WILL CONTINUE, BUT CAN BE MANAGED...

III. OVERALL OBJECTIVES • PROTECT CONSUMERS ABILITY TO USE OUR PRODUCTS • PREVENT ADVERSE LEGISLATION • PROMOTE PRIVATE SECTOR POLICIES THAT ACCOMMODATE SMOKERS • MITIGATE IMPACT OF IARC ETS STUDY

Company

Philip Morris

Author

Philip Morris Corporate Affairs Europe

Recipient

Presumed recipient, Philip Morris

Region

Europe

Litigation

Stmn/Produced

Named Organization

93 Focus Group

Alitalia

ARISE, Assoc. for Research in Science of Enjoyment (Industry scientific front group promoting "pleasure")

Association for Research in the Science of Enjoyment (1994)-Industry-funded scientific group out of the United Kingdom which proclaimed that a little pleasure is essential to good health. Created to combat tobacco control initatives. Previously knows as Associates for Research in Substance Enjoyment. Grouped tobacco use with pleasureable activities such as drinking tea, shopping, and eating chocolate.

Basp

Brussels Tobacco Information Office

*EPA ( use United States Environmental Protection Agency)

European Chefs Assn

European Community

European Community Commission

European Community Council

European Community Joint Research Centre

European Confederation Natl Hotel Restau

European Parliament

Horeca (Hotels, Restaurants and Catering/Cafes)

European acronym for an association of hotels, restaurants and cafes or caterers in the European Economic Community. Also seen spelled as "Ho.Re.Ca" or referred to as the Horecasector. Businesses or individuals pay membership dues to belong to Horeca.

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (WHO cancer research arm)

International Agency for Research on Cancer - The cancer research arm of the WHO. Conducted a multi-center epidemiology study on ETS, initiated in 1988, data collection completed in 1994 and results were published in 1998

ICAO (Int'l Civic Aviation Organization)

Int'l Civic Aviation Organization

Intl Horeca

Ix World Conference on Smoking or Health

National Manufacturers Association (Defense groups for cigarette companies worldwide)

In places around the world where these associations did not exist, the tobacco industry created them to help defeat public health efforts around tobacco.

Philip Morris Crisis Communications Team

SRG - Smokers Rights Group

Smokers Rights Groups (Groups set up by tobacco companies)

Smokers Rights Groups (SRGs) were created clandestinely by the major tobacco companies of Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds (usually through public relations firms) to produce the appearance of "grass roots" opposition to laws restricting smoking in public places. The U.S. SRG, set up by Philip Morris, was the National Smokers Alliance. European groups had names like HEN-RY, Smokepeace and FOREST.

Type

SPCH, SPEECH, PRESENTATION

Subject

industry activity

industry influence

industry response

industry strategy

Political Influence (How the industry develops and applies political influence)

political interference