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.