In an article published on the site Press Portal", the Swiss association for the prevention of smoking attacks tobacco advertising, but above all Philip Morris and his IQOS heated tobacco system. According to the association Philip Morris made a " profession of faith as opportunistic as it is hypocritical »By declaring himself in favor of quitting smoking.
"REDUCE HARMFULNESS TO KEEP THE DOOR OPEN"
A smoke-free world, a great opportunity for the tobacco industry? In any case, this is how the Swiss association for the prevention of smoking judge the behavior of Philip Morris.
« For the past year, Philip Morris International has stood out with a preposterous statement: the group would like to quit smoking. In high-impact media interviews, representatives of the multinational sang the praises of a world in which no one would smoke. Philip Morris even created the “Foundation for a Smoke-Free World” to achieve this ideal. The multinational cares about the health of smokers.«
But for the Swiss association, this communication strategy is in reality only a facade, a marketing campaign that began in 2017 to counter a problem that the entire tobacco industry must face: the fact that traditional cigarettes are sell less well than before, at least in the West.
According to the association, the objective is quite clear: To reduce harmfulness by using heated tobacco systems to keep the door open.
« By declaring himself in favor of a smoke-free world, Philip Morris is therefore trying to get off the ship in the most advantageous way possible. His profession of faith smooths his image and allows him to bring new products into the race. Indeed, the tobacco company already has a ready-made solution to the health problem posed by cigarettes: new electronic devices that heat tobacco and are subtly sold as a fashionable and less harmful alternative. In Switzerland, this new product is called iQos. Even the foundation for a smoke-free world is moving towards this product, because when this multinational talks about a smoke-free world, it is only a question of eradicating "cigarettes and all other forms of burnt tobacco", such as explains the foundation's website.«
And to expand its remarks, the Swiss association evokes the fact that this famous "profession of faith" does not concern countries like Indonesia for example.
“In Switzerland, Philip Morris says he is concerned about the health of the smoker population. But obviously, when a representative of the group dreams of a "smoke-free world", he is not talking about the whole world. In fact, he's not talking about Switzerland either. It just doesn't mean anything. But it sounds great and can potentially make some money. "
Finally, the association highlights the fact that an initiative is currently underway: "Yes to the protection of children and young people against tobacco advertising". As a reminder, a study of Addiction Switzerland revealed that one in six young people between 15 and 17 years old has already received a promotional item as a gift from the tobacco industry.
