Philip Morris Phils. leads anti-youth smoking drive

Philip Morris Philippines Inc. (PMPh) has urged other tobacco companies in the country to support measures that will reduce the incidence of youth smoking.

Speaking at the Conference on Best Practices in Corporate Communications at Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Makati City, PMPh public affairs and communications manager Dave Gomez said Philip Morris International (PMI) and its affiliates, including PMPh, are undertaking more than 100 youth smoking prevention (YSP) programs in 90 countries.

"At Philip Morris International, we firmly believe that as a responsible tobacco company, we should take strong action to keep kids from smoking, or from having access to tobacco products," he stressed.

"This commitment goes right to the heart of who we are. It guides our marketing and advertising policies. It is one of the driving forces behind our commitment to seek national and global regulation. And it is why we are working with governments and our competitors to find better ways to prevent kids from smoking," he added.

In the same forum, Gomez also reiterated PMPh’s support for the passage of a national law that will, among others, establish a minimum age of 18 for the sale and use of tobacco products as well as regulate the tobacco industry to cover the manufacture, sale and use of tobacco products.

He disclosed that of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 191 member states, 114, including the Philippines, do not currently have minimum age laws for the sale and purchase of cigarettes.

In the absence of such a law in the country, Gomez said PMPh has partnered with the Sangguniang Kabataan National Federation in pushing for the passage of local ordinances that will prohibit the sale of cigarettes to persons below 18 years old.

Gomez lauded Interior and Local Government Secretary Joey Lina for issuing a memorandum circular urging provincial, city and municipal councils to pass a minimum age ordinance.

In the same forum, the PMPh executive told the summit participants that PMI and its affiliates around the world support a regulatory framework based on four key principles:

• First, that smoking-related decisions should be made on the basis of consistent public health messages.

• Effective measures should be taken to prevent minors from smoking.

• The right of adults to choose to smoke should be preserved.

• And fourth, all manufacturers of tobacco products should compete on a level playing field.

"We are ready to work with the WHO and its member states to make common sense global tobacco regulation a reality," Gomez pointed oout.