Tobacco Documents Online

PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT ATTORNEY WORK PRODUCT ATTORNEY-CLIENT COMMUNICATION 03/04/98 12:13 PM Q & As re: GMOs 1. Do you use genetically modified tobacco in your cigarettes? A. FOR EU REGION ONLY At present, PM [appropriate entity name] does not intentionally use genetically modified tobaccos in its cigarettes and makes reasonable efforts to use only conventional tobaccos in its cigarettes. We believe, however, that the genetic modification of tobaccos to make them more resistant to plant diseases can offer significant environmental and economic benefits to society, and we see no reason why such tobaccos should not be used in cigarettes. Nevertheless, in markets where there is not broad consumer acceptance of GMOs, we endeavor to use only tobaccos that have not been genetically modified. We believe that genetically modified tobaccos currently are grown primarily for research purposes rather than in broad commercial plantings. However, we consider it likely that, in the near future, the advantages of genetically modified tobaccos will make broad-scale production of such tobaccos inevitable and that it may become impossible to assure an adequate source of supply that does not include genetically modified tobaccos. PM does not grow tobacco, but purchases it from third-party leaf dealers. PM makes reasonable efforts to ensure that the tobacco destined for cigarettes to be sold in markets where there is not broad consumer acceptance of GMOs is of the conventional variety. However, even in those markets, PM cannot guarantee that its cigarettes are entirely free of genetically modified tobaccos or that they will remain free of such tobaccos. Based on our current knowledge of the genetic modifications designed to make tobaccos more resistant to specific plant diseases and our assessment of the relevant science, the smoke from such tobaccos should not result in an increased or different risk compared to smoke from conventional tobaccos. B. FOR NON-EU MARKETS (US AND OTHERSI PM [appropriate entity name] does not actively seek genetically modified tobaccos for use in its cigarettes. We do not, however, see any reason why such tobaccos should not be used in cigarettes. We seek the highest quality tobaccos available; currently; these may well include genetically modified tobaccos. gmos-qas

PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT ATTORNEY WORK PRODUCT ATTORNEY-CLIENT COMMUNICATION 03l04/9812:13 PM 2. Why are tobaccos genetically modified? Tobacco plants have been genetically modified to make them more resistant to tobacco-specific plant diseases. In addition to higher yields for farmers, such modifications can provide environmental benefits through reduced use of pesticides and fungicides. 3. Are genetically modified tobaccos safe to smoke? Based on our current knowledge of the genetic modifications designed to make tobaccos more resistant to specific plant diseases and our assessment of the relevant science, the smoke from such tobaccos should not result in an increased or different risk compared to smoke from conventional tobaccos. 4. Do you genetically modify tobaccos to manipulate levels of nicotine in your cigarettes? No. Philip Morris has never used genetic modification processes to alter the nicotine yield of commercial cigarettes. 5. Do you use genetically modified Chinese Tobaccos in Red and White? We have been informed that the Chinese tobaccos used for Red and White do not include genetically modified tobaccos. However, we are aware of research in China to improve resistance to tobacco-specific plant diseases and, depending on the extent to which commercial plantings have taken hold, there is a possibility that the tobaccos used in the manufacture of Red & White may contain some genetically modified tobaccos. 6. Do you test incoming tobaccos to check whether they have been genetically modified? Testing tobaccos for the presence of genetic modification is generally not practical, as an extremely high number of samples must be tested in order to reliably identify a relatively small proportion of genetically modified tobaccos. We believe that such a testing program--which is essentially like looking for needles in haystacks-would not provide meaningful information of objective benefit to our customers. gmos-qas

PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT ATTORNEY WORK PRODUCT ATTORNEY-CLIENT COMMUNICATION 03/04/98 12:13 PM 7. Do you specify that the tobaccos you buy should not be genetically modified? A. FOR EU REGION ONLY PM [appropriate entity name] makes reasonable efforts to ensure that the tobacco destined for cigarettes to be sold in markets where there is not broad consumer acceptance of GMOs is of the conventional variety. Our efforts are aimed at controlling the sources of supply generally and obtaining some assurances that the tobaccos we purchase from leaf dealers come from areas believed to be free of large-scale commercial plantings of genetically modified tobacco. B. FOR NON-EU MARKETS (US AND OTHERSI Although PM [appropriate entity name] does not actively seek genetically modified tobaccos for use in its cigarettes, we generally do not believe it appropriate to seek to avoid such tobaccos through contract specifications. PM seeks the highest quality tobaccos available; currently, these may well include genetically modified tobaccos. 8. Does PM support the use of genetically modified tobaccos? We believe that the genetic modification of tobaccos to make them more resistant to plant diseases can offer significant environmental and economic benefits to society. Based on our current knowledge of the genetic modifications designed to make tobaccos more resistant to specific plant diseases and our assessment of the relevant science, the smoke from such tobaccos should not result in an increased or different risk compared to smoke from conventional tobaccos. Therefore, we see no reason why such tobacco should not be used in cigarettes. gmos-qas