Tobacco large accused of ‘manipulating science’ to draw non-smokers

The tobacco firm Philip Morris International has been accused of “manipulating science for revenue” by funding analysis and advocacy work with scientists.

Campaigners say that leaked documents from PMI and its Japanese affiliate additionally reveal plans to focus on politicians, docs and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a part of the multinational’s advertising and marketing technique to draw non-smokers to its heated tobacco product, IQOS.

Japan is a launch marketplace for IQOS, and Stopping Tobacco Organisations and Products (Cease), a tobacco business watchdog, stated it suspected PMI would apply the blueprint elsewhere.

A paper from researchers on the Tobacco Management Analysis Group on the College of Bathtub stated that Philip Morris Japan (PMJ), funded a Kyoto College research into smoking cessation through a third-party analysis organisation.

The researchers stated they might discover no public report of PMJ’s involvement, though a PMI spokesperson stated its involvement had been attributed when the outcomes have been offered at a scientific convention in Greece in 2021.

PMJ paid about £20,000 a month to FTI-Improvements, a life sciences consultancy run by a Tokyo College professor, for duties akin to selling PMI’s science and merchandise at tutorial occasions. In a single inner electronic mail, a PMJ worker claimed they’d been instructed “to maintain it a secret”.

The paper, revealed within the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Analysis, is predicated on 24 leaked firm paperwork, dated from between 2012 and 2020.

“These actions resemble identified methods to affect the conduct, publication and attain of science, and conceal scientific actions,” the researchers stated.

Dr Sophie Braznell, one in every of its authors, stated: “The manipulation of science for revenue harms us all, particularly policymakers and shoppers making an attempt to make probably life-changing choices. It slows down and undermines public well being insurance policies, whereas encouraging the widespread use of dangerous merchandise.”

Braznell stated the leaked paperwork undermined claims made by PMI to conduct “clear science”, and referred to as for reforms to the funding and governance of tobacco analysis “to guard science from vested company pursuits”.

In a separate report on the corporate’s advertising and marketing actions, additionally based mostly on leaked paperwork, Cease stated PMJ appeared to foyer for IQOS to be permitted in locations the place smoking was banned.

Teams together with medical and hospitality teams, and Japan’s Fireplace and Catastrophe Administration Company have been all focused for endorsements, “which, if secured, may give the looks of natural, widespread acceptance of IQOS”, Cease stated.

Aiming for a presence on the Tokyo Olympics “echoes a identified business tactic of promoting addictive, dangerous tobacco merchandise at sports activities occasions – associating these merchandise with well being, deceptive shoppers, and reaching youngsters and younger individuals”.

Jorge Alday, director at Cease, stated the findings have been at odds with PMI’s statements suggesting IQOS was solely focused at grownup people who smoke.

“PMI’s intentions with IQOS appear to increase far past what they’ve said,” he stated. “This revelation provides weight to the mounting proof questioning the credibility of PMI’s claims about their intentions and their merchandise.

“Disturbingly, it hints at a broader sample of misleading ways, probably laying the groundwork for a brand new chapter within the tobacco epidemic,” he stated.

A PMI spokesperson stated: “That is one more specious story from an organisation extra excited about criticising our firm than serving to scale back the hurt from cigarettes.

“Like all extremely regulated, multinational firm, PMI repeatedly seeks to share our positions on points that have an effect on our shoppers, our firm, and our communities. Not solely is such a engagement fully authorized and acceptable, it’s important to the kind of inclusive policymaking that can result in higher outcomes for the individuals affected by these insurance policies.”