Philip Morris International for years has waged a secret campaign to water down anti-tobacco efforts by the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Reuters news agency said in an exclusive report citing leaked PMI documents.

Internal documents show PMI executives taking credit for weakening measures approved at the FCTC’s plenary sessions: The meetings are held every two years to promote global tobacco control, which includes electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) like PMI's IQOS tobacco heater, Reuters said. PMI spokesman Tony Snyder, vice president for corporate communications, responded to the report by saying lobbying efforts in a highly regulated industry are part of “our everyday business.” Citing internal emails detailing PMI engagement with governments, “does not make those interactions inappropriate,” Snyder reportedly told Reuters.
The Reuters report and document excerpts are available at: reut.rs/2sSSnyQ