Euromonitor recruits experts to serve Philip Morris

An article published on the blog of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Tobacco Control[1] reveals that market research firm Euromonitor, commissioned by Philip Morris' Smoke-Free Foundation, contacted academics and tobacco control experts to ask them to share their expertise on harm reduction, without specifying its links to the foundation.

In mid-October, a number of academics and experts working in tobacco control were contacted by email by a researcher for Euromonitor, as part of a study on the marketing practices of so-called “sensitive” industries around the world. Specifically, Euromonitor wanted to learn more about marketing practices relating to new tobacco and nicotine products and the concept of “harm reduction.” At no point did the email, or the seven-page brochure attached to it, mention any funding or other support from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, owned by tobacco company Philip Morris International (PMI). Euromonitor only disclosed its relationship with the Foundation in response to an expert’s request that specifically ask whether it received any direct or indirect funding from the tobacco or vaping industry.

Euromonitor defines itself as the world's leading independent provider of strategic market research. In March 2019, the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World[2] and PMI Impact[3] engaged Euromonitor and SustainAbility, a consulting firm, to develop the Tobacco Transformation Index, an indicator that purports to measure tobacco companies’ progress in reducing harm. The index aims to monitor and assess the actions taken by tobacco manufacturers in their transition from traditional tobacco products to “smoke-free” alternatives.[4].

Philip Morris in search of scientific legitimacy

Among the areas raised in the Euromonitor email is the issue of advertising regulation for new tobacco and nicotine products. Is this considered “sufficient to prevent tobacco companies from targeting young people, non-smokers and other vulnerable groups”? Are the products in question currently being marketed “responsibly” by the tobacco industry? The study also looks at the standards that tobacco manufacturers should adhere to in order to market their reduced-risk products “responsibly”. Euromonitor’s approach challenges the authors of the article published on the Tobacco Control blog: “Thus – they say – academic experts who study problematic industries would be paid to tell these industries how to whitewash their business practices in order to make them politically acceptable.” An approach that they consider more than dubious from an ethical point of view.

According to the 2019 and 2020 financial reports of the Smoke-Free Foundation, Euromonitor and SustainAbility received a total of €13 million from the Foundation (€5.5 million and €7.5 million respectively) to produce the Tobacco Transformation Index, which provides the sponsor with a tool for its disinformation. The report places PMI second among tobacco companies most engaged in a process of “transformation,” thus giving the tobacco company more arguments to place even more emphasis on harm reduction by emphasizing the slow transition to reduced-risk products. This emphasis on the notion of harm reduction has the effect of obscuring prevention and proven and effective measures concerning smoking cessation.

Keywords: Euromonitor, Philip Morris, interference, independence, Foundation for a Smoke-Free World

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[1] Euromonitor approaches tobacco control academics on behalf of Philip Morris International-funded Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, British American Journal Blog, October 22, 2021, accessed October 25, 2021 [2] The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World describes itself as "an independent, nonprofit organization" that was created and is "operated without the control or influence of third parties" that "makes grants and supports medical, agricultural, and scientific research to end tobacco use and its health effects and to address the impact of reducing global demand for tobacco. It is funded with $1 billion from PMI over 12 years. [3] PMI IMPACT is an initiative funded with $1.4 trillion by Philip Morris International in 2016. It describes itself as a global initiative to help public, private and non-governmental organizations develop and implement projects against illegal trade and related crimes. [4] AWA Gallagher and AB Gilmore, Euromonitor International now accepts tobacco industry funding: a win for PMI at the expense of research on the tobacco industry, Tobacco Control Blog, April 8, 2019, accessed October 20, 2021 National Committee Against Smoking |