Philip Morris awarded a Golden Mégot for its lobbying activities in France

On November 18, the National Committee Against Smoking (CNCT) wished, through two round tables and an awards ceremony, to draw attention to the issue of interference by the tobacco industry in France, and to the tools that exist to protect oneself from it. The 5.3 awards – for tobacco-free and lobby-free policies thus rewarded the worst lobbying practices, and highlighted the best initiatives in favor of the independence of public policies. A Mégot d'Or was awarded to the President of Philip Morris France, for the company's interference activity, and its role in perpetuating the tobacco epidemic.[1].

This event was held on the occasion of the release of The General Index of Tobacco Industry Interference early November. This Index, initiated in 2015 in South East Asia by the STOP coalition, aims to assess the degree of industry interference in the policies of a given country[2]. The Index has assessed France for the third consecutive year. While it was ranked second worldwide for the previous edition, France now occupies fourth position in the ranking and loses its place on the podium[3].

Publicize and enforce the legal arsenal against industry interference

Tobacco industry interference has been identified as the main obstacle to governments' efforts to implement tobacco control measures. As the Index shows, the situation in France and globally has deteriorated due to an intensification of the tobacco industry's public relations operations and an adaptation of its practices since the start of the Covid 19 pandemic. It appears that achievements in the fight against tobacco are never definitively acquired. The countries at the last Conference of the Parties to the FCTC treaty (COP10) themselves unanimously adopted a declaration calling for great vigilance in this area.

To protect against this interference, provisions exist. They refer to the treaty of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and more particularly to its Article 5.3 which requires Parties to protect their tobacco control policies against the commercial interests of the tobacco industry. Although they have been in force since 2005, these provisions remain largely unknown to many political and public decision-makers. The CNCT thus recalls that there is a real urgency for public decision-makers to fully appropriate these measures and integrate them into their practices.

Cigarette companies' lobbying activities highlighted

Philip Morris France (PMF) was thus doubly rewarded by the panel of experts with the Mégot de la langue de bois, awarded for the numerous speeches by its President, Jeanne Pollès, in the French media aimed at making the cigarette manufacturer a responsible player and a legitimate public health partner, despite its disastrous human, social and environmental record. The Mégot d'Or was also awarded to Philip Morris France for its incessant interference and its role in perpetuating the tobacco epidemic, particularly in France. Indeed, in recent years, Philip Morris has been at the origin of a vast public relations operation aimed at promoting its heated tobacco device. The company hopes to benefit from favorable regulations, particularly in terms of taxation.

The cigarette manufacturer Japan Tobacco International was also singled out for its circumvention practices, particularly following the ban on menthol in cigarettes and rolling tobacco in May 2020. The cigarette manufacturer thus put new "fresh" cigarettes containing menthol residues on the market.

The Tobacco Industry is Not a Solution to the Tobacco Epidemic

The day after the meeting, the President of PMF reacted on Twitter, denouncing the "bad taste" of the event as well as the "dogmatism" and "immobility" of the anti-smoking associations. The President criticizes in particular the associations and the government for not integrating the new products, and especially heated tobacco, into the global strategy to reduce smoking. She highlights the sum of 8 billion euros spent by the manufacturer on this subject. For the CNCT, which relies on confidential internal documents from the manufacturer, The risk reduction displayed by Philip Morris has nothing to do with what public health stakeholders are looking for. It is simply a polished marketing speech intended to improve the manufacturer's image but which exclusively pursues a financial goal and not people's health. The CNCT also points out that the cigarette manufacturer continues to oppose all effective measures to reduce the consumption of all tobacco products, thereby demonstrating its double talk. At the last session of the Conference of the Parties to the FCTC treaty, a similar analysis was made by the 170 or so delegations gathered on that occasion, who adopted by consensus a declaration of vigilance with regard to the industry.

In France, Philip Morris tobacco products cause 30,000 preventable premature deaths each year.

Keywords: Price 5.3, lobby, interference, Philip Morris France, Jeanne Pollès, CNCT

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] CNCT, The President of Philip Morris France receives a gold butt for the first edition of the 5.3 awards (CNCT), November 24, 2021, accessed November 26, 2021

[2] Tobacco Free Generation, The tobacco industry has stepped up its influence efforts during the Covid19 pandemic, November 4, 2021, accessed November 26, 2021

[3] CNCT, Fight against tobacco industry interference: France loses its place on the world podium, November 16, 2021, accessed November 26, 2021