Tobacco Documents Online

PHILIP MORRIS Domestic and Foreign Lobbying WHEREAS press reports indicate that the tobacco industry has been lobbying throughout the U.S.A. combatting initiatives to curb smoking in public areas; At the state level, an internal Philip Morris Government Affairs docu- ment [1-27-89] declared of a bill pending in Utah's Legislature: "We have managed to stall HB51, the sampling ban legislation, in the Senate Rules Committee. At the same time, we have drafted amendments incorpo- rating the industry code of ethics. If the sponsor is willing, we will attach amendments to HB51. If he is reluctant, we will work to have a separate bill introduced and keep HB5L bottled up in the Senate Rules Committee"; Maryland's Legislature is considering an industry-supported bill making it illegal for employers to refuse hiring smokers. If enacted, this would void one Maryland county's rule that firefighters be nonsmokers; The industry is being challenged even more at local levels than at state and federal levels. In 1986, 89 municipal laws restricted smok- ing; by 1989 nearly 400 existed, with hundreds more being drafted; After unsuccessfully fighting to defeat the strongest municipal legis- lation in Pennsylvania dealling with clean indoor air, our company targeted Pittsburgh for an "Accommodation Program," offering financial incentives to local business people who displayed window stickers announcing: "Smokers and Nonsmokers Welcot-ae"; WHEREAS press reports also indicate that the U.S. tobacco industry,,includ- ing our company~has lobbied to open markets in foreign countries, especially in Asia, to U.S. brands; Under the Reagan Administration, tobacco interests and lobbyists were successful in tobacco export expansion by having Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act invoked for Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan, threatening retailatory trade sanctions if restrictions were not removed; Part of the resulting trade agreement allows our company broad advertis- ising rights with little or no warnings, with much of this advertising impacting women and children. Since the opening of these markets, smoking our company's products has increased dramatically. From 1985-87, the percentages of teenagers smoking in Taiwan increased from 26-53% for males and less than 1% to 131. for females, with the brand of choice being Marlboro; Under the Bush Administration, a similar tactic was initiated by the Philip Morris-sponsored U.S. Cigarette Export Association to compel Thailand to change its public health law prohibiting cigarette advertis- ing in order to allow U.S. cigarette manufacturers unrestricted license to promote and market cigarettes; 2048130251

. . RESOLVED that our company make available to requesting shareholders a report listing for each year from 1985 to 1989 the total number of persons, the amount of monies expended, and any and all organizations and trade groups funded partially or wholly by our company directly or indirectly (through trade organizations, etc.) which were involved in these lobbying efforts: to influence domestic and foreign legislation regarding restricting cigarette advertising as well as smoking in public places in the U.S. and elsewhere, and to open foreign markets to U.S. tobacco products. ~ ~ ~rJ Al~T ~