Tobacco Documents Online

PMCS Draft Strategy Document - Retreat II

Abstract

This Philip Morris (PM) document outlines strategies and tactics for fighting legislated and voluntary smoking restrictions in Italy, Holland, Spain and Germany in 1993. It reveals PM's intentions to undermine and overturn an existing Dutch law restricting smoking ("Strategies: To overturn the Dutch short-haul train smoking ban before its planned implementation on January 1, 1994" p. 2501140159). It shows that PM created smokers rights groups in Europe and worked through them to clandestinely oppose smoking restrictions ("Develop Smokers' Rights Group," and "Mobilize Smokers Rights Group against ban," pages 2501140160 and 2501140159, respectively). It shows that PM was a leader in organizing opposition to smoking restrictions in Europe ( "...Work through NMA's" [National Manufacturing Associations] to overturn Dutch train smoking ban, to defeat smoking restriction initiatives in Germany, etc.).

The document also proposes a list of possible strategies PM could use to orchestrate an economic attack on the French airline Air France for its decision to ban smoking on all its European flights under 2 hours starting January 1, 1993:

"- Have smokers in EC cancel reservations on basis of the ban.

- Mobilize PM travel agents and allies against ban. - Mobilize Smokers' Rights Groups. - PM companies boycott of Air France. - Initiate cigarette industry boycott of Air France."

Fields

Quotes

Dear Colleagues,

Attached is a first draft of the PMCS ETS strategy. The issues addressed in this document relate specifically to the objectives presented to Geoff Bible by David Greenberg and David Bushong. This outline has been written based on discussions with the field corporate affairs managers and should accurately reflect the actual situation and intentions of the operating companies.

The purpose of this document is to provide an outline of our objectives and our strategies to achieve them. The final version of this document will be used as a basis for the elaboration of a more detailed pIan at our strategy retreat...

I particularly need you to review the EC section (Part A), the section relevant to your market, and the proposed Air France objective (Part F)...

OVERALL OBJECTIVES

* PREVENT LEGISLATED SMOKING BANS -

As pressure on legislators increases to ban smoking indoors and on public transport, our objective will be to assure certain minimum protection for the freedom of people to smoke, i.e., prevent total bans...

A. EC LEVEL PUBLIC AND WORKPLACE RESTRICTIONS

STRATEGIES:

To prevent unacceptable EC workplace and public smoking restrictions by defeating legislative initiative(s) or by assuring favorable wording...

ITALIAN SMOKING BAN

OBJECTIVE: To avoid unacceptable workplace and public smoking restrictions by defeating national legislative initiative or by assuring favorable wording.

STRATEGIES

- Present alternatlvc texts in Congress through allies. - Provide assistance to rapportcur. - Mobilize allies as needed. - Use press relations as needed.

ACTIONS

- Brief unions on issue and present them survey results. - Lobby congress directly and through allies...

C. DUTCH SHORT-HAUL TRAIN SMOKING BAN

OBJECTIVE: To overturn the Dutch short-haul train smoking ban before its planned implementation on January 1, 1994.

STRATEGIES:

- Work through NMA [National Manufacturers Association]. - Mobilize Smokers Rights Group against ban. - Lobby relevant public officials directly and through allies. - Use PM status as important client with Dutch railways. - Use marketable surveys to demonstrate public attitudes. - Mobilize suppliers against ban...

D. SPANISH WORKPLACE LEGISLATION

OBJECTIVE: To avoid workplace smoking from becoming regulated in safety and health code by defeating eventual initiative or assuring favorable wording.

STRATEGIES:

- Continue union briefing programs. - Conduct a marketable survey with allies on working conditions. - Brief relevant public officials and media. - Develop Smokers' Rights Group...

E. GERMAN LEGISLATION ON PUBLIC/WORKPLACE SMOKING

OBJECTIVE #1:

To avoid workplace bans at Lander level by defeating initiatives, assuring favorable wording or pre-empting with acceptable national legislation.

STRATEGIES:

- Work through NMA - Continue scientific programs. - Brief press and relevant public officials. - Brief allies: employers, unions and Horeca. - Conduct marketable survey with aliles on working conditions. - Mobilize Smokers' Rights Groups and suppliers...

OBJECTIVE #2: Avoid total bans on trains and airlines.

STRATEGIES

- Work through NMA - Brief press and relevant public officials - Mobilize Smokers Right Groups and suppliers against bans.

E. PROPOSED ACTION ON AIR FRANCE

BACKGROUND: Air France has announced its intention to ban smoking on all European flights under 2 hours starting January 1, 1993. The repurcussions of such a move will be very swift. It is likely that other airlines will follow suit if air France can implement the ban without any voiced opposition.

It is advisable that PM or the industry launch a program to dissaude Air France from pursuing its stated intention. Such a program, however, would require active involvement from all European markets.

Below is a proposed plan to deal with the isue. We should use the retreat as an opportunity to decide our position on this issue.

PROPOSED OBJECTIVE: To persuade Air France to rescind its policy of banning smoking on all European flights under 2 hours.

POSSIBLE STRATEGIES:

- Have smokers in EC cancel reservations on basis of ban. - Initiate press relations program on Air France. - Mobilize PM travel agents and allies against ban. - Mobilize Smokers Rights Groups. - Initiate direct contact with Air France. - PM Companies boycott of Air France. - Initiate cigarette industry boycott of Air France.

RELEVANT ACTIONS:

- Identify all PM travel agents. - Quantify PM companies use of Air France. - Agree plan.

Company

Philip Morris

Author

Wirz, Gerard A. (PM Corporate Services, Brussels c.1990-94)

Gerard Wirz worked for Philip Morris Corporate Services, Inc. in Brussels. (PMI's Introduction to Privilege Log and Glossary of Names, Estate of Burl Butler v. PMI, et al, April 19, 1996)

Recipient

Colleagues

Region

Belgium

Italy

Holland

Spain

Germany

Named Organization

Ec Inst

Form Task Force

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.

Lander

Legislation Task Foce

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.

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.

PM Companies

PMCS (Philip Morris Corporate Services (Belgium))

Run by Gerard Wirz. Organized PM's opposition to smoking restrictions in Europe.

Pmg

PMI, Philip Morris International

Target Groups

Air France

Litigation

OKAG/Privilege Withdrawn

OKAG/Produced

Named Person

Bermudez, J.C.

Bible, Geoffrey C. (PM President & CEO (1994-2002))

After a long career with Philip Morris, the Australian-born Bible served as the company's CEO from 1994 until he reached the company's mandatory retirement age in 2002.

Brana, J.

Bushong, David W. (PM European Affairs VP)

1993

Greenberg, D.

Wirz, Gerard A. (PM Corporate Services, Brussels c.1990-94)

Gerard Wirz worked for Philip Morris Corporate Services, Inc. in Brussels. (PMI's Introduction to Privilege Log and Glossary of Names, Estate of Burl Butler v. PMI, et al, April 19, 1996)

Type

REPT, REPORT, OTHER

LETT, LETTER

Subject

secondhand smoke

Corporate strategy

political interference

Political participation

smoking restriction

smoking section

smokers' rights group

Airlines