PMI defends tobacco-regulations record

Philip Morris International, in a letter to The New York Times, has said that it supports most tobacco industry regulation and uses litigation to challenge regulations only sparingly.

‘As “Tobacco Industry Tactics Limit Poorer Nations’ Smoking Laws” (front page, Dec. 13) points out, governments around the world have enacted hundreds of regulations on almost every aspect of the tobacco industry, PMI said in the letter, which was signed by Julie A. Soderlund, vice president, communications.

‘What is not mentioned is that Philip Morris International supports the vast majority of these regulations, including advertising restrictions, penalties for selling tobacco products to minors, limitations on public-place smoking and reasonable health warnings on packaging.

‘The international trading and investment system has long protected the authority of governments to carry out this kind of legitimate, science-based public interest regulation.

‘When this standard is not met, the rules also ensure due process for all lawful industries. In a very small number of cases, we turn to the legal system as a last resort and ask only for a fair hearing and consideration of our case based on its merits before a neutral body.

‘Proposals denying anyone – including the tobacco industry – access to justice undermine the rule of law, which is at the heart not only of the international trading system but also a free and democratic society.’

The New York Times story, which was reported here briefly on December 13, is at: http://health.heraldtribune.com/2013/12/13/tobacco-firms-tactics-limit-poorer-nations-smoking-laws/.