Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic – December 2021

This is a continuation of our page on Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic and summarises the incidents reported during the month of December 2021. This page will be continuously updated as and when incidents related to the respective month are reported.

The Summary of Interference Reported as of 31st December 2021

Table 1 summarises the incidents reported since 13th March 2020, the date of initiation of the first Lock Down in Sri Lanka, the day we started monitoring Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic.

Table 1: Summary of reported TII during COVID-19 Pandemic

Tobacco Company	Reported Countries	Number of Incidents
British American Tobacco (BAT)	South Africa, United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Brazil, Kenya, Bangladesh, Croatia, Mexico, Nigeria, Honduras, Russia, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Greece, Canada, Italy, Ireland, Egypt, New Zealand, Philippines, Belarus, Belgium, Australia, Iran, Romania, Namibia, Pakistan, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, France, Japan, Myanmar, Singapore, Malta	210
Philip Morris International (PMI)	Brazil, Costa Rica, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Philippines, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Georgia, Russia, Canada, Burkina Faso, Denmark, Pennsylvania, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Japan, Astypalea, La Graciosa, United States, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Nigeria, Romania, Dubai, Australia, Pakistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean	118
Altria Group	United Sates of America (USA), Canada, Switzerland	75
Japan Tobacco International (JTI)	United Kingdom (UK), Bangladesh, Turkey, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Zambia, Japan, Romania, Germany, Cambodia, Greece, Iran, Luxembourg, Nigeria, Malawi, Tanzania, United State of America (USA)	78
Imperial Tobacco	Russia, Egypt, Ukraine, Greece, Czech Republic, United States	33
ITC Limited India	India	76
Korea Tobacco Ginseng Corporation (KT&G)	Indonesia, Turkey, Russia, Armenia, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Italy, Romania, Cyprus, Greece	9
Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC)	Sri Lanka	12
Reynolds American	United Sates of America (USA)	7
Universal Cooperation	United Sates of America (USA)	2
VMR Products	United Sates of America (USA)	2
RJ Reynolds Tobacco	United Sates of America (USA)	5
Godfrey Phillips India	India	5
DJarum	Indonesia	2
PT HM Sampoerna	Indonesia	1
Hongyunhonghe Tobacco (Group)	-	2
7 HILLS Manikchand Products Private Limited	India	2
Deccan Tobacco	India	1
Vinataba Tobacco Company	Vietnam	1
International Tobacco Company	Nigeria	1
LT Group	Philippines	1
China Tobacco	China, Latin America	4
Gamucci	United Kingdom, United States of America (USA), Asia and Africa	1
JUUL Labs	United States of America (USA)	8
Swedish Match	Sweden	3
Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation (PMFTC)	Philippines	4
FerioTego Cigar Company	United States of America (USA)	1
R.J Reynolds Vapor Company	United States of America (USA)	1
Gold Leaf Tobacco Corporation	South Africa	1
Barco Trading Company	Angola	1
Pan Africa Tobacco Group	Angola	1
Avail vapour	United States of America (USA)	1
22nd Century Group	United States of America (USA)	1
Company not specified or interference via Front Groups	United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Malaysia, Australia, Lebanon, Senegal, Sri Lanka, France, Myanmar, India, Chile, South Africa, Kenya, Bhutan, Philippines, Greece, Hong Kong	44

Week 90: 29th November – 5th December2021

• The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) has informed Morris International (PMI)to suspend the trade of IQOS, heated tobacco device of PMI, in the United States with effect from 29th November 2021. Director of U.S. communications at PMI, Corey Henry stated that PMI is looking for contingency plans to make it available in the US market.
• Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State, Nigeria, publicly appreciated British American Tobacco (BAT) for investing USD 185 million in a new factory. This was in an event to officially launch a Naira 200 million (USD 48,000) Farmers’ Fund established by BAT in collaboration with Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Latter is a not-for-profit institution that reportedly “generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation” according to their website. Farmers Fund was reportedly established for “the re-integration and profitable engagement of ex-tobacco farmers in the production of food crops (cassava and maize)”. Further, Waseem Hayat, the Operations Director of British American Tobacco (BAT) in Nigeria, declared that BAT earns more than USD 110 million in foreign exchange annually exporting tobacco to 14 countries in Africa. Thus, the said donation to the farmers’ fund is only around 0.04% of its exportation of tobacco grown by the Nigerian farmers.

It is known that tobacco industry targets farmers using various tactics. Plethora of scientific evidence has revealed that tobacco cultivation, manufacturing process and tobacco products negatively impact on human health, environment and socio-economic development. Establishment of the Farmer’s Fund would probably promote tobacco cultivation among ex-tobacco farmers by indirectly highlighting the demand for the tobacco harvest with the new tobacco factory. Further, tobacco industry is known to exaggerate their contribution on economy while ignoring the harm their trade inflicts on the economy through premature deaths and diseases.

• Chairman and Managing Director of ITC Limited India Sanjiv Puri was awarded the ‘Impact Person of the Year 2020’ by Group, a publishing platform that provides information of broadcasting, media, advertising, and marketing domain industries. It was reportedly “to recognize excellence in the Advertising, Media and Marketing domain” and was handed over by Smriti Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development in India.ITC Limited India is the main tobacco company in India which diversified their business into other ventures. As of March 2021, the Government of India holds 16.23% of shares of ITC via the Life Insurance Corporation, the Indian government-owned insurance company.

Article 5.3 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends the governments not to have any partnership with the tobacco industry as such partnerships have a fundamental irreconcilable conflict of interest with public health.

• The Court of Tax Appeals issued an order against the Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation (PMFTC), a joint venture between Fortune Tobacco Company (FTC) and Philip Morris International (PMI) in The Philippines, dismissing a petition with regards to refund of excise tax. Previously, PMFTC won the case in Las Piñas Regional Trial Court (RTC), challenging the applicability of excise tax on packs with 5 or 10 cigarettes. The tax was imposed on packs with 20 sticks in January 2013. of Internal Revenue (BIR) took the case to the Supreme Court and the RTC order was affirmed in 2017. PMFTC filed a petition to claim the excise tax paid during the temporary restraining order effected from 2014 till the order of Supreme Court affirmation.

Article 6 and Article 11 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends raising tobacco tax and standard packaging of tobacco products as demand reduction measures. Tobacco industry is known for using litigation to delay implementation of effective tobacco control policies and actions. Please visit our page Ceylon Tobacco Legally Challenging Pictorial Health Warnings in Cigarette Packs for more details.

• Media reported a seize of illicit cigarettes worth of USD 9.7 million at Tuen Mun region, Hong Kong. They further reported an increase of seized illicit cigarettes by 70% compared to 2020 and that the total of seized cigarettes in 2021 was worth more than USD 347 million.

Increase of illicit cigarettes is a common claim made by tobacco companies to justify their low sales volumes and evade potential tobacco tax increases. Tobacco companies are known for their own involvement in the illicit trade in many parts of the world. Please visit our page Ceylon Tobacco Misleading Shareholders: The Illicit Cigarettes Issue for more details.

• Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited (PMPKL) announced a reduction of energy consumption by 41% compared to 2018, reportedly because of the initiatives for enhanced energy efficiency. It further mentioned that PMPKL was the first PMI subsidiary to generate energy via solar panels in 2016.

The reduction of energy consumption is probably mainly be due to the closure of cigarette manufacturing factory in Kotri, SindhIn Pakistan in March 2019.

• Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) PLC announced the appointment of Monisha Abraham as the first female Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1st December 2021 (Image 1).

Please refer our page Monisha Abraham for more details.

Image 1: Media reporting the appointment of the new CEO of Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC).

• Chief Financial Officer of Philip Morris International (PMI),Emmanuel Babeau, addressed Morgan Stanley Virtual Global Consumer and Retail Conference on 1st December 2021. Morgan Stanley is a company headquartered in United States engaged in “global financial services providing investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services” according to their website.

Week 91: 6th December – 12thDecember 2021

• South African Revenue Service announced the seize of illicit cigarettes and pipe tobacco worth of Rand 40 million. It was during two joint operations by the police and the for Priority Crime Investigation (hawks)at the Durban Harbour and in Polokwane.

Tobacco companies are known for their involvement in the illicit trade in many parts of the world. Please visit our page Ceylon Tobacco Misleading Shareholders: The Illicit Cigarettes Issue for more details.

• County School District filed a case against tobacco companies including Labs, Altria and [Philip Morris USA in the Country Common Pleas Court against promoting e-cigarettes among teenagers. Defendant party including JUUL filed a “notice of removal” to move the case from state court to Federal court, consolidated with similar cases. Previously, Berkeley, Charleston, Anderson, Greenville and Pickens counties in South Carolina filed similar lawsuits against marketing and advertising strategies of JUUL.
• A research titled “Explore tobacco companies’ interference on the smoke-free environment at restaurants in Dhaka city of Bangladesh” revealed that the tobacco companies enticed the owners using incentives for establishment of 'Designated Smoking Area (DSA)' in restaurants and for display of tobacco advertisements. The research was conducted by for Interactive Choice and Empowerment (VOICE), a “rights-based research and advocacy organization”, according to their website. The Bangladesh Smoking and Using of Tobacco Products (Control) Act 2005 allows DSA for restaurants with more than one room.
• British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh was awarded the first prize in the Manufacturing Category at the 21st ICAB National Awards. It was organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB) reportedly for best presented annual reports, integrated reporting, and corporate governance disclosures in 2020. The prizes were handed over by the Minister of CommerceMunshi.
• Francois Van der Westhuizen and Pieter Snyders, who revealed how the British American Tobacco (BAT) in South Africa spied on and attempted to sabotage the competitors, were jointly awarded the UK Whistleblowing Prize. This award, meant for “whistleblowers in recognition of their bravery, integrity, commitment to the public interest and positive and enduring impact”, was given away at the Blueprint for Free Speech Whistleblowing Awards. Van der Westhuizen revealed, at the awarding ceremony, how he and his family got targeted after exposing the actions of BAT; including his home being “petrol bombed”, and his wife being “injured in an attempted kidnapping”.

Whistleblowers had helped to reveal unlawful actions of tobacco companies.

• British American Tobacco (BAT) announced an increase of users of vaping and heated tobacco products up to 17.1 million by the end of September 2021. Media reported that BAT “was still making a loss from the new product categories but that for the first time, losses were narrowing”.
• Dessi Temperley has been appointed a member of the Board of Directors of Philip Morris International (PMI) in United States.
• Former Chief Executive Officer of Philip Morris International (PMI), Andre Catantzopoulos, requested smokers to switch to “smoke-free products”, in a webinar on Smoke Harm Reduction Conference. He further mentioned that “Smoking causes serious disease, and the best way to avoid the harms of smoking is never to start, or to quit”. Further details of the conference such as who the organisers, other speakers and the participants were, were not available in the media reports.

Scientific evidence has revealed many harms related to vaping and using smoke-free products, including causing addiction and harm to lungs.

• Several tobacco companies have been recognised as global environmental leaders by CDP under “A listing” of Climate change, Forest and Water security (Table 2). CDP reportedly recognises the “best-in-class environmental performance and leadership in tackling climate change, protecting forests and water security” via their ratings. CDP is a not-for-profit charity headquartered in England “that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impact” according to their website. CDP is managed by a board of trustees and board of directors reportedly under the funds “from a combination of government and philanthropic grants and mission-complementary fee for service”.

A plethora of evidence exists on how cigarettes and its manufacturing process negatively impact the environment including global warming and, thus, the human health.

Table 2: Summary of tobacco companies recognized as the global environmental leaders by CDP A Listing

Tobacco company	Category	Remarks
Philip Morris International (PMI)	Climate Change, Forest, Water Security	-
Japan Tobacco International (JTI)	Climate Change, Water Security	for third consecutive year
Altria	Climate Change, Water Security	for the second consecutive year

• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) partnered with ITC hotels in India to introduce an 18-month professional diploma on Vocational Education and Training. The diploma is offered by [https://www.ehl.edu/ Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), which is a hotel school based in Switzerland. This program is announced to be conducted in four ITC hotels for 240 students. ITC hotels are owned by ITC Limited India, the main tobacco company in India, which diversified its business into other ventures.

Week 92: 13th December – 19th December 2021

• Altria and Philip Morris USA declared a price increase of 15 to 20 cent per pack (depending on the brand) for some cigarette brands with effect from 12 December 2021.This was the third time increase for the year 2021 by Altria. Media also reported an increase of 14 cent per pack for some cigarette brands of British American Tobacco (BAT) in USA.
• Korea Tobacco Ginseng Corporation (KT&G) announced a 20.2% increase of sales to Won 2.64 trillion (USD 2.23 billion) during the first nine months of 2021, compared to pre COVID situation in 2019. It further reported that 31.1 billion cigarettes were sold in South Korea during the same period, compared to the 30.4 billion sold in 2019. Media quoted “industry experts” and stated that the increase of sales is due to “the pandemic, coupled with economic hardship, depression and a sense of helplessness”.

COVID-19 pandemic stress leading to increase of smokers is a common statement made by the tobacco industry and its allies. The Scientific evidence has revealed that there is no association between the smoking prevalence and the pandemic lockdowns. It further revealed that it is associated with increases in quit attempts, and cessation.

• JUUL Labs and Altria agreed to pay USD 90 million for a class action lawsuit (a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively). The investors earlier claimed that “the companies misled them and others about Juul’s marketing to youth”. As a result of a motion filed by investors on 9th December 2021 in a Virginia federal court, the companies agreed to pay USD 90 million to settle the claim. The motion further stated that the JUUL Labs is promoting vaping products among teenagers violating Securities Exchange Act. It is reported as one of the largest class action settlements in Virginia.
• Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and Torii Pharmaceutical jointly released the Phase III results of the development of Delgocitinib ointment for the infants with Atopic Dermatitis (chronic inflammatory skin disease). JTI and Torii was under agreement in October 2016 for development and marketing of the ointment in Japan. Media reported that they are willing to submit a manufacturing and marketing application based on the clinical trial results.

Scientific studies have revealed that tobacco smoking (both active and passive) is associated with Atopic Dermatitis.

• Ministry of Labour in Malawi and Japan Tobacco International (JTI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) reportedly “to contribute to the aspirations of the Malawi Decent Work Country Program (DWCP 11)”. The media highlighted it as “the commitment of the Government of Malawi to address decent work deficits prevailing in the labour market”.

Article 5.3of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends the governments to not have any partnership with the tobacco industry as such partnerships have a fundamental irreconcilable conflict of interest with public health.

• Philip Morris International (PMI) published a 10-year anniversary report titled Agricultural Labor Practices. It is reportedly to reflect on the progress made as a measure of celebrating the International Day of Human Rights and the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labor in 2021. In addition, PMI partnered with Verite on the same, “to integrate its learnings into an open-source toolkit that will aid companies, suppliers, and producers in driving improvements in labor practices of agricultural supply chains around the world”. According to their website, Verite is a civil society organisation providing businesses with tools that help to eliminate labour abuses .
• District Court for the Northern District of Georgia dismissed the case filed in November 2020 by the Choices Management Corp (HCMC) due to the rejection of the Motion for Leave to Amend (allowing a plaintiff to at least amend the complaint one time in an attempt to state a cause of action) of HCMC. The case was against the Philip Morris International (PMI) on violation of patent of the heating and vaping product, IQOS.
• Naeem Shahab Khan, the Managing Director of Philip Morris International (PMI) Malaysia, stated that it was their plan to surge the sales of heated tobacco products in 2022. He further stated that they are not expecting further lockdowns and are planning for efficient operation in 2022 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Olakunle Ogedengbe, Head of Digital Business Solutions, British American Tobacco (BAT) West and Central Africa (BATWCA), was awarded the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of The Year under the Consumer Goods category at the CIO Awards. It was organised by Edniesal Consulting Limited, an Enterprise Governance firm providing business consultancy services, aiming to “celebrate and honour successful and outstanding individuals and organisations that are using digital innovation and information technology systems to bring about real growth and transformation to business” according to their website.
• James Xu, Chief Executive Officer of Avail Vapor, e-liquid manufacturer based in the United States, announced permanent closure of retail store and suspending the online trade. It was reportedly due to the inability to comply with the new regulations of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on vaporisers and the economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic. The new regulations included maintaining records on legal marketing of the product, how the product protect the public health and the amend/ withdraw/ transfer of the ownership of the product (Image 2).

Image 2: Media reporting the closure of Avail stores due to FDA regulations.

Week 93: 20th December – 26thDecember 2021

• Korea Tobacco Ginseng Corporation (KT&G) launched their new e-cigarette device named ‘Lil SOLID 2.0’, in 22 countries including Italy, Romania, Cyprus and Greece. This was following the signing of a product supply contract with Philip Morris International (PMI) in January 2021.
• British American Tobacco (BAT) was awarded the Sustainable Product Award for the vaping brand Vuse at the SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement and Leadership) Award 2021. This award supposedly “celebrate the companies and leaders across the globe that make measurable contributions to sustainability, and develop innovative initiatives that will positively impact the environment”.

A plethora of evidence has revealed that cigarettes and their manufacturing process negatively impact the environment including global warming and, thus, the human health.

• JTI Asia Manufacturing Corporation (JTI-AMC), manufacturing arm of JTI, was awarded the Outstanding Employer Award in thePEZA Annual Awards by Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). The award is reportedly given “to a locator that generated the most number of jobs, held high regard for the welfare of its workers, and maintained harmony between labor and management.” Previously, JTI-AMC has been awarded with the Outstanding Community Project Award. Director General of PEZA appreciated the JTI stating the contribution on generating employment and for CSR activities during COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by media.

Article 5.3of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends against governments having any partnership with the tobacco industry. Such partnerships have a fundamental irreconcilable conflict of interest with public health. Tobacco companies are well known for their involvement in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in order to gain leverage in interference in tobacco control actions and policies and also to whitewash their image and reputation.

• Japan Tobacco International (JTI) announced that the company has decided to apply for the ‘Prime Market’ segment of the Tokyo Stock Exchange following the confirmation of initial listing criteria. Prime Market segment “contains stocks admitted to the Official Market that also meet special additional criteria”. The minimum of 800 shareholders, 20,000 units of tradable shares and Japan Yen 10 billion Market share capital are some of the basic requirements for the eligibility of the Prime Market segment.
• Rothmans, British American Tobacco (BAT) subsidiary in Korea, started a campaign to collect used Glo devices, the latest heated tobacco product of BAT. Users are rewarded with a discount coupon worth of Won 2,000 for each Glo pro slim device returned. Media reported that 50 bins have been placed to collect the devices and more to be placed in the convenience stores in cities. Media further reported other steps taken by the BAT to be “environmental friendly”, highlighting the use of solar power in a tobacco factory in Korea, reduction of water consumption in factories and replacing plastic packages with environmental friendly materials (Image 3).

Image 3: Media reporting the BAT Rothmans starting to collect the used Glo devices.

• The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval to 22nd Century Group, a plant biotechnology company based in the United States, to market their two brands; VLN King and VLN Menthol as “Modified Risk Tobacco Products” justifying it by the statement “these products show they can help addicted adult smokers transition away from highly addictive combusted cigarettes”. 22nd Century Group produces cigarettes with different nicotine / cannabinoid levels solely used for the government funded scientific researches under the brand ‘Spectrum’. The company has submitted the application for Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) in 2020 following the approval of Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) for VLN brands.
• Sheldon Wood, country manager for Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean at Philip Morris International (PMI) declared the transition of new graphical health warning of cigarette packs will happen from January to 24 March 2022 under the regulation of Tobacco Control Unit (TCU) of Ministry of Health in Trinidad. He further mentioned that it is to curb the illicit trade.
• ITC Limited India was awarded the 6th Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) CSR Excellence Award under the 'Large' category. It was handed over by Sri Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs. The award reportedly “recognizes the best corporate contributor each in the large, medium, and emerging categories”.

Article 5.3of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends against governments having any partnership with the tobacco industry. Such partnerships have a fundamental irreconcilable conflict of interest with public health. Tobacco companies are well known for their involvement in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in order to gain leverage in interference in tobacco control actions and policies and also to whitewash their image and reputation.

Week 94: 27th December 2021 – 2nd January 2022

• Dean Gilfillan, General Manager of Japan Tobacco International (JTI) in United Kingdom stated that the trade of nicotine pouches is only regulated under the General Products Safety Regulation 2005 as it does not contain tobacco. He further stated that they won’t sell nicotine pouches to minors under the age of 18 years as they agreed to follow the “industry standards”. Further, he requested the government to modify the legislation to regulate the nicotine pouches with penalties to avoid minors being targeted under this situation.
• Trait Biosciences, a cannabis product manufacturing company based in the United States, announced that they are developing a water-soluble cannabinoid product. It’s reportedly a “Series A Financing”, which refers “to an investment in a privately-held, start-up company after it has shown progress in building its business model and demonstrates the potential to grow and generate revenue”. Trait Biosciences is sponsored by Btomorrow Ventures (BTV), the cooperate venturing arm of British American Tobacco (BAT) as stated in their website.
• British American Tobacco (BAT) Singapore will be awarded with a Gold Harmonia' statuette reportedly “to recognize companies with the best Human Resource practices and which demonstrate high levels of employee engagement and excellent workplace cultures” as HR Best companies to work for in Asia 2021. The awards are by Business Media International (BMI), based in Malaysia, who “helps businesses in multiple sectors better understand their businesses, make better decisions, promote their businesses, and partner with them to grow their businesses” according to their website.
• British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh, partnered with organisations working to promote mental health including Life Spring, Maya and Psychological Health and Wellness Clinic (PHWC) to initiate a mental health services to their employees.

Scientific evidence proves that tobacco smoking negatively impact mental health causing mental health problems including addiction, depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.

• British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) was identified as a performance contributor by the AFC Asia Frontier Fund holders. AFC Asia Frontier Fund is managed by the Asia Frontier Capital Limited, a fund management company based in Hong Kong.
• ZahrahCader, Regulatory Affairs Counsel at Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) PLC was awarded the Chairman’s Award 2021. It is reportedly awarded to “recognize outstanding personal contribution to the growth and development of the company during the year”.
• British American Tobacco (BAT) Malta partnered with ACT, a non-governmental organisation, to plant over 140 indigenous trees in Malta. This is reportedly as a part of their environment, social and governance (ESG) strategy (Image 4).

A plethora of evidence has revealed that tobacco cultivation and cigarettes manufacturing process negatively impact the environment including deforestation, water pollution, global warming and, thus, the human health.

Image 4: Media reporting the BAT partnering with ACT to plant trees in Malta.

• Philip Morris International (PMI) announced a project to recycle electronic nicotine delivery devices of any brand in Ukraine. It is with the partnership of Flextronics International Kft, an electronics (consumer, health and industrial devices) manufacturer and electronics services provider based in Hungary. It is further reported that PMI aims “to recycle 100% of its smokeless devices by 2025 and reduce plastic waste from its products by 50%”.

Electronic devices introduces plastics, heavy metls such as lead and mercury and other toxins leading to an array of negative environmental impacts, including accumulating in waterways, soil and marine life. Further, the e-waste exposure to heat releases toxic chemicals damaging the atmosphere.

• A research has been conducted to “explore the global conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion in the global workplace” under the Inclusive Future programme of Philip Morris International (PMI). Completion of the first phase of the research was announced by Silke Muenster, Chief Diversity Officer of PMI and Alexander Fleischmann, the lead researcher for the Inclusive Future program in an interview conducted by the Blogher website.

Tobacco industry commissioning research teams and firms is a common tactic used to generate reports in favour of their interests.

• Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation (PMFTC), a joint venture between Fortune Tobacco Company (FTC) and Morris International (PMI) in Philippine, estimated a surge of illicit cigarette market by 8.6% and 5.5% in the years 2021 and 2020 respectively.

This is a common claim made by tobacco companies to justify their low sales volumes and evade potential tobacco tax increases. Tobacco companies are known for their involvement in the illicit trade in many parts of the world. Please visit our pages Tobacco Industry Tactics to Evade Tax and Ceylon Tobacco Misleading Shareholders: The Illicit Cigarettes Issue for more details.

• Media reported the appointment of Sharad Aggarwal as the Chief Executive Officer of Godfrey Phillips India Limited. Prior to this appointment, Sharad was serving as the Chief Operating Officer and the Director at Godfrey Phillips India Limited. Godfrey Phillips India Limited is a tobacco manufacturer in India owned by the Modi Enterprises, a group of businesses in India.
• Paperboards & Specialty Papers Division (PSPD) of ITC Limited India partnered with Invest India to introduce the ‘ITC Sustainability Innovation Challenge’. It would reportedly ‘support innovative start-up ideas on sustainable packaging and smart waste management solutions’. Invest India is the government owned “National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency that helps investors looking for investment opportunities and options in India” as stated in their website. PSPD is one of the main business ventures of ITC Limited India, the main tobacco manufacturing company in India.

Article 5.3 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends against governments having any partnership with the tobacco industry. Such partnerships have a fundamental irreconcilable conflict of interest with public health.

• ITC Limited India established the first offsite solar plant in Tamil Nadu worth of Indian Rs 76 crore (Approx. USD 1 million). The plant reportedly will be a solution to reduce the CO2 emission and ITC hopes to meet 100% energy requirement from renewable sources by 2030 under the ‘Sustainability 2.0’ project. ITC Limited India is the main tobacco company located in Tami Nadu, India, which diversified their business into other ventures.

TobaccoUnmasked Resources

• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic - November 2020
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic - December 2020
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic - January 2021
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic - February 2021
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic - March 2021
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic – April - May 2021
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic –June - July 2021
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic –August - September 2021
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic –October 2021
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic –November 2021