Addiction at Any Cost: Chapter Summaries
February 22, 2021
Although Philip Morris International (PMI) claims to be creating a “smoke-free future” by transitioning from cigarettes to alternatives such as heated tobacco products, serious questions about PMI’s true motivations remain. These chapter summaries from STOP’s report, Addiction at Any Cost: Philip Morris International Uncovered, provide overviews of our research, findings and analysis.
Chapter 1: A historical look back at the tobacco industry’s attempts to launch new “reduced harm” products show that these efforts are always motivated by profit, not a genuine concern for health.
Chapter 2: An analysis of PMI’s IQOS launch strategy revealed that the focus is on recuperating profit losses in countries where cigarette sales are already declining—all while assuring investors that Philip Morris International remains committed to leading the cigarette market in the future.
Chapter 3: Comparing PMI’s public statements to go “smoke-free” with its corporate strategy and actions reveals that PMI is working to influence policy, addict new users, profit from addiction and perpetuate the tobacco epidemic.
Chapters 4 & 5: The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) is a tobacco industry front group funded solely by PMI and is an integral part of the company’s strategy to influence policy. A look at the evidence reveals that FSFW appears to be acting as a public relations arm for the company, instead of a truly independent organization advancing scientific research.
Note: In May 2024, FSFW changed its name to Global Action to End Smoking.
