In a letter to Secretary of State for Health Matthew Hancock and all branches of the national health service (NHS), Philip Morris offers to help in the fight against smoking by promoting his IQOS heated tobacco system . An action that does not pass for public health officials in the United Kingdom.
IQOS, THE MAGICAL POTION TO LEAVE TOBACCO?
The leader of the tobacco industry is once again talking about him. Philip Morris International, which owns Marlboro and many other big brands of cigarettes, addressed a letter to the Secretary of State for Health, Matthew Hancock and to all branches of national health service (NHS), the British equivalent of French social security. In this mail, the too famous company offers its help in the fight against smoking including alternatives to conventional tobacco consumption.
She takes the opportunity to promote her new product, the IQOS, which is in the form of a pen in which is inserted a filter cigarette, shorter than a conventional cigarette. It is then heated and produces steam. It does not emit any smoke and, ultimately, no tar or carbon monoxide, which underlies it would be "Less toxic".
According to the rules of the world health organization (WHO), the interference of tobacco companies in public health operations is prohibited because their products are responsible for millions of deaths.
Now in the letter, Mark MacGregor, general affairs director of Philip Morris in the United Kingdom and Ireland, writes: "To celebrate the 73.000th anniversary of the NHS, we are delighted to offer our services to help the XNUMX smokers in your institution to quit. It would be a collaborative campaign: you would provide the advice needed to quit being addicted to nicotine and for those who couldn't quit we would help them switch to a smoke-free alternative.»
AN "INAPPROPRIATE" ACTION, A "SHAME OF COM ''!
The Under-Secretary of State for Health, Steve Brine, said last Thursday during a debate in the House of Commons that Philip Morris's action was "totally 
inappropriate and against the protocol [of the WHO] ". For some activists these words are not strong enough.
Deborah Arnottdirector Action on smoking and health, a charity that fights against smoking, describes the company's approach as "shameful shot of com '". She told the British daily The Independent: “I am delighted that the Under-Secretary of Health has denounced Philip Morris's maneuver with the NHS. But this company has also made offers to local authorities».
She hopes he will reaffirm strong support for the WHO rules which state that "the tobacco industry does not have the right to be a partner in any public health policy initiative as these interests are in direct conflict with the objectives of these policies.»
For decades, Philip Morris refused to admit smoking was linked to cancer and other diseases despite overwhelming evidence. The company has spent billions of dollars developing this alternative product that would allow smokers to move away from traditional cigarettes.
Source : Slate.fr/
