Philip Morris
Report to the Management of Philip Morris U.S.A. Regarding Implementation of the Action Against Access Program
Fields
- Author
- Hampe, C.W.
- Harrison, N.J.
- Rudman, W.B.
- Harrison, N.J.
- Area
- GOVT AFFAIRS/DENVER CO REGION 10
- Type
- REPT, REPORT, OTHER
- Request
- Stmn/R1-099
- Master ID
- 2062900111/0253
Related Documents:- 2062900218 Exhibit A
- 2062900219 See Attached Report Final Report: Aaa / We Card Audit for Philip Morris Usa Hoffman Research Associates 970300
- 2062900220 Exhibit B
- 2062900221-0228
- 2062900229 Exhibit C
- 2062900230 State Correspondence Summary Status
- 2062900231 Exhibit D
- 2062900232 Localities Correspondence Summary Status
- 2062900233 Exhibit E
- 2062900234 State Correspondence Status - Responded But Not Yet Resolved
- 2062900235 Exhibit F
- 2062900236 Conviction Information
- 2062900237 Exhibit G
- 2062900238
- 2062900239 Exhibit H
- 2062900240
- 2062900241 Exhibit I
- 2062900242-0248 Interim Report to the Management of Philip Morris U.S.A. Regarding Implementation of the Action Against Access Program
- 2062900249 Exhibit J
- 2062900250
- 2062900251 Exhibit K
- 2062900252 Assembly Bill 1076 Relating to Tobacco Retailer's Regulations
- 2062900253
- Named Organization
- American Cancer Society
- American Heart Assn
- American Lung Assn
- Appropriations Comm
- Business Affairs Comm
- Coalition for Responsible Tobacco Retail
- Commerce Comm
- Congress
- Consumer Protection Comm
- Cri
- Dept of Liquor Licenses + Control
- Div of Alcoholic Beverages + Tobacco
- FDA, Food and Drug Administration
- Finance Comm
- Ftc, Federal Trade Commission
- Ga Dept of Public Safety
- Ga Liquor Commission
- Ga Lung Assn
- Hhs, Dept of Health and Human Services
- Hoffman Research Associates
- House
- Hra
- Il Assembly
- in Div of Mental Health
- Judiciary Comm
- Justice Dept
- Ky Farm Bureau
- Ky House
- Ky Senate
- Local Government Comm
- Ma Dept of Revenue
- Marlboro Team Penske
- Mi Bulb
- Mi Dept of Public Health
- Mn Senate
- Mo Div of Alcohol + Tobacco Control
- Mo Retailers Assn
- Natl Assn of Convenience Stores
- Ne Dept of Health
- Ne Retail Federation
- Ne Retail Grocers Assn
- Oh Assn of Convenience Stores
- Oh Assn of Tobacco + Candy Distributors
- Oh Council of Retail Merchants
- Oh Dept of Health
- Oh Grocers Assn
- Oh Petroleum Marketers Assn
- Oh Petroleum Retailers + Repair Assn
- Oscar Mayer
- Philip Morris Globe
- PM General Counsel
- PM Usa Newsline
- PM, Philip Morris
- Precon
- Rules Comm
- SC Dept of Revenue + Taxation
- Senate
- Smokers Advocate
- State Attorneys General Working Group
- Substance Abuse + Mental Health Services
- TI, Tobacco Inst
- Tn House
- US Tobacco
- Usdc Middle District NC
- Wa Liquor Control Board
- Ways + Means Comm
- We Card Retail Training Seminar
- Wi Dept of Revenue
- Wi Lung Assn
- Wv Dept of Health
- Al Alcoholic Beverage Control Board
- American Heart Assn
- Named Person
- Bayh
- Conner, P.
- Dawson, B.
- Engler, J.
- Foti, S.
- Hart, M.
- Humphrey, H. III
- Jennings, L.
- Johnson, C.
- Kosco, L.
- Mckenna, W.
- Meiklejohn, A.
- Miller, Z.
- Morgan, J.
- Patterson, T.
- Patton, P.
- Rowland, J.
- Surgeon General
- Synar
- Walker, M.
- Zschech, K.
- A, J.R.
- L, H.
- M, J.
- M, S.
- V, R.
- W, K.
- W, R.
- Z, L.
- Conner, P.
- Site
- N819
- Litigation
- Stmn/Produced
- Author (Organization)
- Paul Weiss
- Characteristic
- MARG, MARGINALIA
- Date Loaded
- 05 Jun 1998
- Brand
- Philip Morris
- Basic
- Benson & Hedges
- Bristol
- Cambridge
- Daves
- Marlboro
- Merit
- Players
- Virginia Slims
- Basic
- UCSF Legacy ID
- zuc22e00
Document Images
REPORT TO THE MANAGEMENT
OF PffiLIP MORRIS U. S. A.
REGARDING- ENAPLEMENT-ATION OF- -
THE ACTION AGAINST ACCESS PROGRAM
Warren B. Rudman
Paul, Weiss, Ri#ldnd, Wharton & Garrison
March 31, 1997

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
11. BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION ................. I
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................... 6
M. FINDINGS AND 12ECONNIENDATIONS REGARDING EACH
FLEMENT OF THE AAA PItOGRAM ................. 13
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
.
. Printing of "Underage Sale Prohibited"
Notices On All Packs and Cartons of Philip
Morris Brand Cigarettes .................. 13
Discontinuation of Free Samples Of Philip
Morris Brand Cigarettes .................. 15
Discontinuation of Maidng of Philip Morris-
Brand Cigarettes ........... . ........... 16
Denial of Merchandising Benefits to
Retailers Who Are Fined or Convicted of
Selling Tobacco Products to Minors ........... 23
Placement of Minimum Age Signs and
Related Materials In Retail Outlets
That Farticipate in PMUSA's Incentive
Programs ............................ 32
Implementation of Program to Reward
Members of the Public Who Identify
Unauthorized Uses of Philip Morris
Trademarks ........................... 49
Efforts to Support the Enactment of State
Legislation Relating to the Use of Tobacco
Products by Minors ...................... 54
IV. SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS AND I2ECOMMENDA'pIONS .. 102
Doc#: DC 1:50152.1 1317A

L BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION
On June 27, 1995, Philip Morris U.S.A. ("PMUSA") announced
the Action Against Access program ("the AAA program"), a voluntary
undertaking that the company described as "a new initiative to attack the
problem of youth smoking. " The AAA program consisted of several elements,
each of which, according to the company, was intended to deny minors access
to tobacco products at retail. PMUSA announced that it would implement
many elements of the AAA program unilaterally, and would seek to implement
the remaining steps in cooperation with other parties (e.g., wholesale and retail
trade associations, and other tobacco manufacturers) interested in issues relating
to the marketing and sale of tobacco products. As announced, the AAA
program consisted of the following elements:
1. The printing of a notice reading "Underage Sale Prohibited"
on all packs and cartons of Philip Morris brand cigarettes.
2. The immediate discontinuation of free cigarette sampling to
consumers.
3'. The immediate discontinuation of cigarette distribution
through the mail:
4. The denial of merchandising benefits 3 o participants in
PMUSA's retail incentive programs who are fined or convicted for selling
tobacco products to minors. In addition, PMUSA established an incentive
program that requires retailers to display point-of-sale signage regarding
minimum age laws, train employees on these laws, and obey them, as a
condition of participation.
5. The placement by PMUSA's- retail- sales- force of minimum
age signs and related materials, prepared in conjunction with the company's
"Ask First/It's the Law" progam, at the more than 200,000 retail outlets that
participate in the company's retail incentive programs. The company
announced also that it would seek the cooperation of trade associations to
ensure that these materials would be made available to retail outlets that the
Doc#:DC 1:50152.1 1317A

PMUSA sales force does not visit. In January 1996, PMUSA discontinued the
"Ask First/It's the Law" program and supported the "We Card" program
sponsored by the multi-industry Coalition for Responsible Tobacco Retailing.
PMUSA's support of the We Card program is examined in Section III.E.
below.
6. The implementation of a program to reward members of the
public who notify PMUSA of an unauthorized use of the company's
trademarks, as part of an overall effort to prevent the use of Philip Morris
brand names or logos on any items (including, for example, video games or
toys) that are marketed to minors.
7. Working with other interested parties to seek enactment of
state legislation that would: (a) require the licensing of retail establishments that
sell cigarettes, coupled with enforcement measures to identify and sanction
retailers who sell cigarettes to minors; (b) prevent the purchase by minors of
cigarettes from vending machines; (c) require that all cigarettes sold in retail
establishments to which minors have access be within the line of sight of, or
within the control of, a store clerk; and (d) require the posting of minimum age
signs in all retail outlets that sell cigarettes.
The implementation of the AAA program has occurred during a
period of substantial controversy surrounding the U.S. tobacco industry, some
eIements of which relate directly to the use of tobacco products by minors.
One aspect of j.he ongoing controversy relates to the August 28, 1996
publication by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") of a set of
regulations that, for the first time, vests authority in the FDA to regulate the
marketing, sale 'and distribution of cigarettes. T he regulations are based on the
FDA's position that cigarettes constitute a "nicotine delivery device" over
which the FDA has jurisdiction under existing law. Certain of the FDA
regulations became effective on February 28, 199-7.
The FDA regulations impose a variety of new restrictions upon
the manufacture, packaging, marketing, distribution and sale of cigarettes and
smokeless tobacco products. The rules prohibit the sale of cigarettes to persons
under the age of 18, and require retailers to verify the age of purchasers of
cigarettes through visual inspection and, if necessary, a photographic
identification card. In addition, the regulations prohibit the use of electronic or
mechanical devices for providing cigarettes to a retail purchaser, establish a
minimum mandatory package size of 20 cigarettes, and prohibit all impersonal
modes of cigarette sales, including vending machines, self-service displays,
Doc#: DC 1:50152.1 1317A

mail-order sales and mail-order redemption of coupons. The FDA has also
imposed a prohibition on free samples of cigarette products, as well as
numerous restrictions on the format and content of print advertising of
cigarettes. The more stringent of these rules apply to advertising in
publications having a youth readership (defined as persons under 18 years of
age) of more than 15 percent or at least 2 million.
In the Summer of 1995, Philip Morris and other plaintiffs ,
(including other cigarette manufacturers) filed suit in the United States District
Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, seeking to enjoin
implementation of the FDA regulations. The plaintiffs argue that FDA lacks
statutory authority to regulate the marketing and sale of tobacco products. This
litigation is ongoing as of the date of this report.
In May 1996, PMUSA and the United States Tobacco Company
proposed comprehensive federal legislation to address most of the issues to which
the FDA regulations relate. The company stated that it would support enactment
of the legislation only if the FDA were precluded from exercising jurisdiction over
tobacco products. The principal elements of the PMUSA proposal include the
foliowing:
Establishing a federal minimum age of 18 for sales of tobacco
products, and requiring photo identification for purchases by anyone
who appears to be under 21 years of age;
Prohibiting vending machine and mail-order sales of cigarettes, as
well as the distribution of individual cigarettes or packages
containing fewer than 20 cigarettes;
Banning all outdoor advertising of tobacco products within 1,000
feet of any public playground or elementary or secondary school;
Banning all tobacco billboards of less than 225 square feet,
regardless of location, and prohibiting tobacco advertising in or on
trains, subways, buses and taxis;
Prohibiting tobacco product advertising in or on video games, or at
video arcades or family amusement centers (other than those to
which minors are'denied access);
Doc#:DC1:50152.1 1317A

4
Banning payments for the use or placement of tobacco products or
advertisements in movies or television programs;
Limiting magazine advertising of tobacco products to publications
for which adults represent at least 85% of the subscribers;
Banning sales and gifts to consumers of non-tobacco-related
products that display tobacco product names or logos (e.g., t-shirts,
hats, jackets and bags);
Limiting permanent tobacco product advertising to facilities
dedicated primarily to motor sports or rodeo productions; and
Limiting tobacco brand-name sponsorship to events for which at
least 75% of those in attendance are. expected to be 18 years of age
or older. Corporate sponsorship would be permitted by tobacco
companies whose company name was in existence prior to January 1,
1995.
Vesting enforcement authority in the Federal Trade Commission, the
Department of Health and Human Services and the Justice
Department, and requiring tobacco manufacturers to pay a total of
$250 million over a five-year period to pay for administration and
enforcement of the program, and for materials to support retailer
compliance.
No legislation alorig these lines. was introduced in the U. S. Congress in 1996,
although press reports indicated that certain Members of Congress were
considering sponsorship of the proposed legislation.
At the time it announced the AAA program, PMUSA disclosed
that it had retained our nrm to conduct an independent audit of the company's
implementation of the program, and to report our findings and
recommendations to senior management. We 'W"ish to emphasize that our
mandate is limited to an examination and evaluation of the actions taken by
PMUSA to implement the measures that it announced in June 1995. We have_
been not asked to provide, and we have not undertaken to provide, any advice
on the broader policy issues or~'ousiness judgments that arise from the current
political and regulatory environment -- including, for example, whether
voluntary initiatives such as the AAA program constitute a reasonable
alternative to FDA regulation of cigarette sales and marketing, or whether there
Doc#: DC 1:50152.1 1317A

5
are additional steps that PMUSA should take in attempting to make it more
difficult for minors to purchase tobacco products.
We have, at all stages of our review, held the company to a high
standard of commitment and performance with respect to the AAA program.
We informed PMUSA at the commencement of our audit that we expected that
the company would make a determined effort to implement each element of the
AAA program thoroughly and effectively -- and this is the test that we have
applied in conducting our examination and preparing this report.
As described above, certain elements of the AAA program
constitute immediate, unilateral steps taken by PMUSA (e.g., the
discontinuation of mailing of cigarette products), while others involve longer-
term initiatives (e, g. , the effort to enact state legislation relating to cigarette
sales to minors). In July 1996, we provided an interim report to 1'MUSA
management that focused primarily on the unilateral, shorter-term program
elements that were immediately implemented, including the printing of
"Underage Sale Prohibited" notices on cigarette packs and cartons, and the
discontinuation of mailings and ffee distributions of cigarettes. We provided
also our preliminary findings and recommendations regarding all other elements
of the AAA program.
In this report, we review and update our initial findings and
recommendations regarding the unilateral elements of the AAA program, and
provide many new findings and recommendations regarding the more detailed
elements of the program. As discussed below, we believe that continued
oversight may be warranted with respect to two program elements: the effort to
enact state legislation to restrict youth access to tobacco products, and the
implementation of the Responsible Retailer Program.
The next section will provide an Executive Summary of the
report, and the following sections will provide our detailed lindings and
recommendations with respect to each element of the AAA program.
Doc'{:DC 1:50152.1 1317A

6
11. EXECUTIVE SUNIlI4ARY
The following is a summary of our principal findings and
recommendations regarding each element of the AAA program:
1. Overall Conclusions.
PMUSA has made a good-faith effort to implement each element of the
AAA program. As of January 31, 1997, some aspects of the AAA
program have been more successfully implemented than others. The
AAA program elements over which PMUSA had complete control --
underage sale notice, the discontinuation of free samples and of mailing
cigarettes, and rewarding the identification of infringements of PMUSA
trademarks -- have been fully and effectively implemented.
~ The element of the AAA program over which PMUSA exercised
significant influence -- the placement of minimum age signage and
related materials in retail stores with PMUSA merchandising agreements
-- has been implemented with substantial, if not complete, success.
~ In the area of state legislation, PMUSA has achieved important initial
successes in a number of states, with the clear possibility of additional
successes in the coming legislative session. PMTJSA should continue its
efforts in this area.
~ One aspect of the AAA program cannot be deemed a success as of the
date of this report: the denial of merchandising benefits to retailers who
violate underage sale laws. This lack of success is not due to PMUSA's
lack of sincerity or effort (indeed, PMtJSA did take appropriate actions
in the limited number of cases where it obtained information on retailers
that had violated the law), but instead is due to the general unavailability
of state or local government dar.a on fined or convicted retailers.
PMUSA should take substantial additional steps to convince states to
collect and share this data.
Doc#:DC 1:50152.1 1317A

7
2. Printing of "Underage Sale Prohibited" Notice On All Packs and
Cartons of Philip Morris Brand,Cigarettes.
Findings:
PMUSA accomplished in all material respects its objective of introducing
a new "Underage Sale Prohibited" notice on all packs and cartons of
Philip Morris brand cigarettes by the end of 1995 -- and, in fact,
achieved this goal with respect to the vast majority of its product
offerings (including its most popular brand names) well in advance of the
year-end deadline.
Our field survey found that over 90 % of packs and cartons of PMUSA's
highest-volume cigarette brands offered for sale in late 1996 contained
the "Underage Sale Prohibited" notice. We found also, however, that a
significant percentage of packs and cartons of lower-volume brands
(including Cambridge, Players and Bristol Lights) being offered for sale
nationwide still do not carry the AAA notice.
Discontinuation of Free Samples of Philip Morris Brand Cigarettes.
Findings:
The company fulfilled its commitment to discontinue providing free
cigarette samples to consumers upon the announcement of the AAA
program.
4. Termination of Mailing of Philip Morris Brand Cigarettes.
Findings:
PMUSA fulfilled its commitment to terminate the mailing of cigarette
products to consumers upon the announcement of the AAA program.
Doc#:DC 1:50152.1 1317A

8
5. Denial of Merchandising Benefits to Retailers Who Are Fined or
Convicted of Selling Tobacco Products to Minors.
Findings:
PMUSA has encountered unexpected obstacles in implementing its
pledge to withhold benefits from retail accounts with whom it has a
merchandising agreement who are fined or convicted of selling cigarettes
to minors. Because of unanticipated changes in proposed federal
regulations, the company's initial (and reasonable) assumption that
reliable data would be available from the states to track enforcement
actions against retailers is no longer valid.
When PMUSA discovered that most state governments do not collect
data on retailers that_are fined or convicted for selling cigarettes to
minors, the company made a determined effort to obtain this information
from various local government entities. However, the company's efforts
have not produced a significant amount of data on fined/convicted
retailers. Fine/conviction data was only received from six states, and it
appears reasonable to expect that such data will be available from only
an additional five states in the near future.
As of January 31, 1997 PMUSA had obtained fine/conviction data on
64.1 stores from state and local governments, of which data on ~62 stores
were "valid" (i.e., the records were complete and the offense occurred
after the-effective date of the program). 286 of these 462 stores had a
merchandising agreement with PMUSA (and thus received benefits that
PMUSA could withhold). PIVIUSA took the following actions with
regard to these 286 stores:
It issued 286 "warning letters" to advise the retailers that PMUSA
would waive the suspension of merchandising benefits for the
referenced violation only if the store pledged to comply with the
We Card program; and
It issued 16 one-month benefits suspensions ((1) 13 stores had two
convictions, and the second offense thus triggered the benefits
suspension, (2) one store was convicted twice and declined to
comply with the We Card program, and thus received two
suspensions, and (3) one store was convicted once and declined to
Doc#: DC 1:50152.1 1317A
