Nations Urged to Reject Phillip Morris Funds for Antismoking Efforts
Skepticism abounded when Phillip Morris International announced it would fund and help set up a new body called the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World. The tobacco giant plans to donate about $80 million a year for 12 years to this new organization with a mission of reducing the harm from smoking. Angry responses to this announcement came from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other anti-smoking entities.
The founder and president-designate of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, Derek Yach, a former senior official at the WHO, said collaboration was necessary to win the war on smoking. Yach is described by Fortune as a strong advocate for the switch to e-cigarettes, which heat, rather than burn, nicotine-packed substances. Phillip Morris International seems to see these “vaping” options as its company’s future, with their first-quarter reports showing a tenfold increase in this market. . .