Tobacco giant accused of 'manipulating science' to attract non-smokers

Source: The Guardian

Tobacco giant accused of ‘manipulating science’ to attract non-smokers

Leaked documents from Philip Morris reveal ‘secret’ strategy to market its heated tobacco product IQOS

Kat Lay, Global health correspondent
Fri 28 Jun 2024 14.05 BST

The tobacco company Philip Morris International has been accused of “manipulating science for profit” through funding research and advocacy work with scientists.

Campaigners say that leaked documents from PMI and its Japanese affiliate also reveal plans to target politicians, doctors and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as part of the multinational’s marketing strategy to attract non-smokers to its heated tobacco product, IQOS.

Japan is a launch market for IQOS, and Stopping Tobacco Organisations and Products (Stop), a tobacco industry watchdog, said it suspected PMI would apply the blueprint elsewhere.

A paper from researchers at the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath said that Philip Morris Japan (PMJ), funded a Kyoto University study into smoking cessation via a third-party research organisation.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/jun/28/tobacco-giant-philip-morris-pmi-accused-manipulating-science-attract-nonsmokers-iqos-targeting-politicians-doctors-tokyo-olympics