Smoke-free Destinations
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Smoke-free Destinations, Tobacco Tactics, updated 23 February 2022, accessed 10 April 2024.
Key Points
- PMI sponsors so-called “smoke-free” policies at holiday destinations which appear to encourage tourists and locals to stop smoking cigarettes, while heavily promoting its heated tobacco product IQOS.
- This circumvents regulations on industry involvement in policy development and the advertising of tobacco products
Background
As part of its claimed movement towards a “smoke-free future”, Philip Morris International (PMI) have developed so-called “smoke-free destinations”. PMI say that these destinations must have a Smoke Free Culture certification from the organisation TUV Austria. This company offers “integrated safety, quality, environmental and technical resource management”.1 In order to obtain this certification, locations must provide space for education about, and use of, its “smoke-free products”, such as its heated tobacco product (HTP) IQOS.2
These “smoke-free” destinations are typical holiday destinations, such as the Greek, Spanish and Canary Islands.
PMI’s “smoke-free” strategy has been criticised as:
- a marketing strategy to promote newer nicotine and tobacco products, particularly in smoke-free areas; and
- a corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy to rehabilitate the company’s damaged reputation, to enable it to contribute to policy development.345
Locations
Astypalea, Greece
In September 2019, PMI announced Astypalea, Greece, as “the world’s first smoke-free island”. Smoking cigarettes in some key tourist areas and indoors was banned. PMI said that those who would not stop smoking cigarettes would be informed of alternative options.6 The island received a Smoke-Free Culture certification from TUV Austria for its campaign to encourage either “quitting” cigarettes or switching to alternatives such as PMI’s HTP IQOS.2
In a promotional video about Astypalea, PMI said “both locals and visitors alike are encouraged to quit completely or if they don’t, change to smoke-free alternatives”.7 In Astypalea, hotels created spaces for using NGPs, converted from old smoking rooms, and provided trial kits for NGPs such as PMI’s HTP IQOS.8 The deputy mayor of Astypalea said “we encourage people to move away to healthier alternatives”.9
However, the health impacts of HTPs such as IQOS are unclear. Some evidence indicates that most IQOS users continue to smoke cigarettes (see PMI’s IQOS: Use, “Switching” and “Quitting”).
Canary Islands, Spain
In July 2019, the Plaza del Príncipe in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, held an event to introduce an “IQOS terrace”. The event featured live music, a photoshoot and food that apparently reflected the “essence of IQOS”.10
In March 2020, PMI offered support to businesses on the island of El Hierro, Tenerife, to obtain the Smoke-Free Culture certification.11 This followed a talk given by a PMI representative at an event for local businesses.12
In February 2021, the Smoke Free Culture certification from TUV Austria was awarded to the Canary Islands at a meeting between the director general of PMI in the Canary Islands, the president of the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism Entrepreneurs of Las Palmas, the director of operations of the Gloria Thalasso & Hotels group, and the president of the Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria.13
In June 2021, the Teguise City Council of the island of La Graciosa launched a campaign in collaboration with PMI called ‘La Graciosa sin humo’ [La Graciosa without smoke], which aimed to reduce both the amount of cigarette smoke by promoting alternative products, and to reduce cigarette litter.14 It aimed to obtain the Smoke-Free Culture certification from TUV Austria.15 The campaign included “smoke-free space” signs which resembled large cigarettes, in areas including a football field (see Image 1) and a children’s park (see Image 2). The campaign website (lagraciosasinhumo.com) closed in December 2021.1617
Image 1. A “smoke-free space” sign, resembling a large cigarette, at a football field as part of the ‘La Graciosa sin humo’ campaign (source: lagraciosasinhumo.com).
Image 2: A “smoke-free space” sign, resembling a large cigarette, at a children’s park as part of the ‘La Graciosa sin humo’ campaign (source: lagraciosasinhumo.com).
Reactions
In response to the “La Graciosa Sin Humo” campaign, The Las Palmas Medical Association reported it to the Prosecutor’s Office because it does not comply with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) guidelines on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.18 In June 2021, public health officials in the Canary Islands urged citizens to reject the “La Graciosa Sin Humo” campaign, due to its industry involvement and promotion of IQOS.192021 In September 2021, 150 organisations wrote a petition calling for the removal of the agreement between the City Council of Teguise in La Graciosa and PMI.22
In response to the public health community’s concerns, the director of Philip Morris Canarias rejected the characterisation of the campaign as advertising, but claimed instead that it raises awareness of harms from cigarettes.23 Despite the public health petition, in July 2021, the City Council of Teguise voted against withdrawing the campaign.24
In September 2021, the Ministry of Health of La Graciosa requested that TUV Austria stop incorrectly indicating that the Ministry of Health endorses the campaign.25 TUV Austria has since threatened two organisations which opposed the PMI initiative with legal action. No Fumadores and the National Committee for the Prevention of Smoking were told they carried information which damaged the reputation of TUV Austria.2627
Undermining regulation
Policy interference
Article 5.3 of the WHO’s FCTC bans the involvement of tobacco companies in the development and implementation of public health policies. A “smoke-free” policy sponsored by a tobacco company (PMI) represents tobacco industry interference in policy.28
Advertising
Article 13 of the WHO’s FCTC bans both direct and indirect advertising of tobacco products. This is circumvented by the promotion of IQOS at holiday destinations.
Corporate social responsibility
Article 5.3 of the WHO’s FCTC bans CSR by tobacco companies, as this is a form of marketing to promote their company image and products. PMI is using CSR to promote its “smoke-free” campaign alongside Astypalea’s tourism rebrand towards “well-being, quality and pureness of life”.29 A new tourism campaign was launched called “Astypalea: Τhe Aegean Energy Spring”, which aims to promote “positive energy” via its tourist destinations, alongside the smoke-free campaign.30 PMI has also highlighted the environmental benefits gained from reduced cigarette litter6, yet has not acknowledged itself as the cause of the vast environmental harms from cigarette filters. It has also organised beach cleaning events and provided materials with the PMI logo (see Image 3).
Image 3. Philip Morris International-branded litter picking equipment (source: lagraciosasinhumo.com).
Targeting the travel industry
PMI used its promotion of smoke-free destinations to invite a writer of a lifestyle blog covering travel to visit Astypalea. In one of the hotels the writer stayed in, smoking cigarettes indoors was banned, but use of PMI’s IQOS was allowed and promoted. IQOS was promoted across the island, such as at hotels and beaches (see Images 4 and 5)31 (for more images, see here).
Image 4. IQOS promotion at a hotel room in Astypalea. (Source: The Yorkshire Gentleman).
Image 5. IQOS promotion at a beach in Astypalea. (Source: The Yorkshire Gentleman).
PMI’s ‘Smoke-free campaigns’
Since 2014, PMI has claimed to have ‘smoke-free’ objectives as part of its corporate agenda. This has coincided with the development and promotion of newer nicotine and tobacco products (notably its HTP IQOS), and the promotion of itself as a partner in solving the tobacco pandemic (see Philip Morris International’s “Smoke-Free” Campaigns for examples).
Targeting other leisure industries
The tobacco industry has previously targeted other leisure industries, such as hospitality and aviation, to circumvent indoor smoking bans. From the 1970s to the 1990s, tobacco companies promoted indoor smoking via hospitality industry groups that it had funded.32 Several tobacco companies created an organisation to investigate “indoor air quality” (since described by the U.S. Department of Justice as misleading), and sought support from flight attendants against smoking bans on flights.33 There is no suggestion of any impropriety between PMI and TUV Austria.
TobaccoTactics Resources
Newer Nicotine and Tobacco Products: Philip Morris International
PMI’s IQOS: Use, “Switching” and “Quitting”
PMI Promotion of IQOS Using FDA MRTP Order
Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG) research
- US regulator adds to confusion around heated tobacco products, A.B. Gilmore, S. Braznell, BMJ Editorials, 2020, 2020;370:m3528
- Understanding the emergence of the tobacco industry’s use of the term tobacco harm reduction in order to inform public health policy, S. Peeters, A. Gilmore, Tobacco Control, 2015;24(2):182-189
- PMI New Zealand conflates IQOS heated tobacco products with electronic nicotine delivery systems, L. Robertson, J. Hoek, K. Silver, Tobacco Control,
- The ‘filter fraud’ persists: the tobacco industry is still using filters to suggest lower health risks while destroying the environment, K. Evans-Reeves, K. Lauber, R. Hiscock, Tobacco Control, 2021, doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-056245
- Philip Morris International’s partnerships with local authorities in Europe violate Article 5.3 of the FCTC, N. Taravira, L. Laurence, F.T. Filippidis, Tobacco Control Blog, 29 November 2021.
- Beware big tobacco bearing gifts: tobacco industry corporate social responsibility activities in Greece, Tobacco Control,
For a comprehensive list of all TCRG publications, including research that evaluates the impact of public health policy, go to TCRG publications.
