The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World is an organization founded in 2017. It is funded by

Philip Morris International Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) is an American multinational tobacco company, with products sold in over 180 countries. The most recognized and best selling product of the company is Marlboro. Philip Morris International is often ref ...

, which had initial plans for $80 million in annual funding, with the aim of smoking harm reduction. The current pledge agreement from PMI to the Foundation, modified in September 2020, promises $35 million in funding to the Foundation from 2022 through 2029.Amended and Restated Pledge Agreement
. Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, September 28, 2020. Accessed June 8, 2022.

History

In its first year, the Foundation spent less on

scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has characterized the development of science since at least the 17th century (with notable practitioners in previous centuries; see the article history of scientific m ...

than on

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. ...

, but had not yet spent most of its yearly budget.Tess Legg, Michel Legendre and Anna Gilmore
"Paying lip service to publication ethics: scientific publishing practices and the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World"
''

Tobacco Control Tobacco control is a field of international public health science, policy and practice dedicated to addressing tobacco use and thereby reducing the morbidity and mortality it causes. Since most cigarettes and cigars and hookahs contain/use ...

'', 28 April 2021 (). Its president was

Derek Yach Derek Yach (born 21 November 1955) was the president of the Philip Morris International-funded Foundation for a Smoke-Free World. He is a former employee of the World Health Organization and of PepsiCo. Education He received his MBChB from th ...

, a former

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...

(and later PepsiCo) executive. An investigation conducted by ''

Le Monde ''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...

'' (France), ''The Investigative Desk'' (Netherlands), '' Follow the money'' (Netherlands) and '' Knack'', published in April 2021, suggests that the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, which is not transparent about the grants it gives to other entities, is a lobbying tool used by Philip Morris International to circumvent the

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is a treaty adopted by the 56th World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland on 21 May 2003. It became the first World Health Organization treaty adopted under ...

, whose article 5.3 aims to protect public decisions from tobacco industry lobbying. According to the authors of the investigation, who relied on internal documents of Philip Morris International dated seven years prior in 2014, PMI's strategy consisted of dividing the

tobacco control Tobacco control is a field of international public health science, policy and practice dedicated to addressing tobacco use and thereby reducing the morbidity and mortality it causes. Since most cigarettes and cigars and hookahs contain/use ...

movement (schematically divided between "prohibitionists" and "pragmatists") and bending the WHO in order to promote alternative products (e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, etc.) to cigarettes. Advocacy groups directly or indirectly funded by the Foundation have stated that vaping with electronic cigarettes is a safer choice than smoking cigarettes, regarding the health effects of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

. At least one group of researchers who received funding from the Foundation allegedly failed to declare the funding and journals have been accused of neglecting to apply conflict of interest policies.Talha Khan Burki
"Conflicts of interest in tobacco industry-funded research"
''

The Lancet ''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal and one of the oldest of its kind. It is also the world's highest-impact academic journal. It was founded in England in 1823. The journal publishes original research articles, ...

Oncology'', volume 22, issue 6, page 758, 2021 . The Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) at the

University of Catania The University of Catania ( it, Università degli Studi di Catania) is a university located in Catania, Sicily. Founded in 1434, it is the oldest university in Sicily, the 13th oldest in Italy, and the 29th oldest university in the world. With a ...

is funded by the Foundation (through an intermediate company named ECLAT SRL) and some of its researchers (such as Riccardo Polosa) published tobacco-related papers without declaring funds received from the Foundation nor conflicts of interest. On October 4, 2022, it was reported that the Agricultural Transformation Initiative (ATI), a subsidiary of FSFW, supported Malawi-based scholars through the ATI Fellowship and Scholarship Fund. Fifteen postgraduate students shared information about their studies while speaking with experts and students at the North Carolina State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences International Programs. The goal of the event was to use what the students learned to help diversify Malawi’s tobacco-reliant agricultural ecosystem.

Criticism

The creation of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World was met with skepticism by the medical community. The

and the

Union for International Cancer Control The Union for International Cancer Control (previously named International Union Against Cancer) or UICC is a non-governmental organisation with some 1,180 member organisations in more than 170 countries. UICC was founded in 1933 and is based i ...

announced that they would not work with the Foundation, and encouraged governments and the public health community to follow their lead. The independence of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World has been challenged. The Foundation taking funding from Philip Morris International has been criticized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids,

Action on Smoking and Health Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is the name of a number of autonomous pressure groups (charities) in the anglosphere that seek to publicize the risks associated with tobacco smoking and campaign for greater restrictions on use and on cigar ...

(ASH),

Corporate Accountability International Corporate accountability is the acknowledgement and assumption of responsibility for the consequences of a company's actions. It can be defined in narrowly financial terms, e.g. for a business to meet certain standards or address the regulatory re ...

and others. Some public health organizations have rejected collaboration with the Foundation. The American Cancer Society stated, "This attempt by Philip Morris International to paint itself as a public health partner is manipulative and dangerous. It is a new twist out of the tobacco industry's deadly playbook, but nobody should be fooled. It's a continuation of a decades-long effort to paint over tobacco's role in spreading death and misery around the globe."

Notes and references

{{Reflist

External links

Official website

WHO Statement on the foundation

Description on the platform ''Tobacco Tactics''
Tobacco industry associations Foundations based in the United States Organizations established in 2017 2017 establishments in the United States Tobacco in the United States Front organizations

History

Criticism

Notes and references

See also

External links