Major Tobacco Companies Research Articles

Evaluating compliance with track and trace and other regulations in Pakistan's cigarette market.

To control the illicit cigarette market, the government of Pakistan adopted a Tracking and Tracing System (TTS) that was fully operational by July 2022, despite many roadblocks. By this date, major tobacco companies had either registered their brands with the tax authority and/or installed TTS. This paper is the first to evaluate the degree of compliance with the TTS by evaluating the extent and nature of illicit trade in tobacco products. We use randomised sampling to collect cigarette packs from waste recycling stores located in the ten most populous cities of Pakistan, to evaluate illicit trade penetration. Almost a third of the packs collected did not bear a tax stamp, mostly due to the lack of compliance by local companies, confirming a recent review of the TTS implementation by the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR). Even the largest companies that ostensibly adopted the TTS did not fully comply with the system, signalling poor enforcement. This is a missed opportunity, since a well-functioning TTS combined with proper enforcement is an effective means of controlling illicit tobacco trade, boosting tax revenue and improving public health. However, the enforcement should not be limited to the TTS since 23.6% of packs did not comply with other regulatory requirements.

Marketing for Sensa: A novel "zero nicotine vapor product" from a major tobacco company.

On July 1, 2024, RJ Reynolds Vapor Company (RJRVC) introduced Sensa, the first disposable "zero nicotine vapor product" from a major tobacco company. Sensa sold more than 100,000 units as of September 10, 2024 and has been marketed through several channels. Direct-mail and magazine ads appeal to consumers' senses (e.g., "awaken your senses") and showcase Sensa's six flavor options: Berry Fusion, Berry Watermelon Fusion, Blueberry Frost, Mint Frost, Passionfruit Frost, and Watermelon Frost. Our chemical characterization of all Sensa flavors (except Berry Watermelon Fusion) found neotame (a potent artificial sweetener) and WS-23 (a synthetic coolant) in all samples, while all "Frost" flavors tested contained another synthetic coolant, WS-3. Although RJRVC states that Sensa is for "adult tobacco and vapor consumers," Sensa's resemblance to popular disposable vaping devices and youth-appealing flavors raise concerns about Sensa's appeal to young people, and limited regulations for "zero nicotine" products introduce uncertainty about product safety.

The Flavor Train: The Nature and Extent of Flavored Cigarettes in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

IntroductionFlavors and depictions of flavors are attractive and facilitate initiation and use of tobacco products. However, little is known about the types of flavored products on the market, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. We describe the nature and extent of flavored cigarettes sold in nine low- and middle-income countries from four of the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions.Aims and MethodsWe employed a systematic protocol to purchase unique cigarette packs in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Packs were double coded for flavor descriptors and imagery using a standard codebook. Frequencies and crosstabs were conducted to examine the proportion of packs with flavor descriptors and/or flavor imagery, and flavor capsules, by country and by major manufacturer.ResultsOverall, 15.4% of the country-unique cigarette packs had flavor descriptors and/or imagery, representing a variety of flavors: menthol or mint (8.2%), “concept” descriptors (3.5%) (eg, Fusion blast), fruit or citrus (3.3%), beverages (1.4%), and others (1.4%). Flavor was mostly communicated using descriptors (15.2%), with flavor imagery being less common (2.2%). Flavor capsules were prevalent (6.2%), with almost half having “concept” descriptors. All major tobacco companies produced cigarettes with flavors, and with capsules.ConclusionsA range of flavored cigarettes remain on the market in the low- and middle-income countries with the greatest number of smokers. This finding is particularly concerning given the appeal of flavored cigarettes among youth and their potential to circumvent country bans on flavored tobacco products if those laws are not sufficiently comprehensive. Laws addressing flavored tobacco products need to account for flavor capsules and concept descriptors.ImplicationsWhile a number of countries have restricted flavors in tobacco products to reduce their appeal and attractiveness, a range of flavors continue to be on the market in low- and middle-income countries, putting people in these countries at increased risk for tobacco use and subsequent tobacco-caused death and disease. The presence of capsules and concept descriptors is particularly concerning given their appeal among youth and their potential to circumvent country bans on flavored tobacco products if those laws are not sufficiently comprehensive.

Exposure and reach of the US court-mandated corrective statements advertising campaign on broadcast and social media

ObjectiveAs a remedy to committing fraud and violating civil racketeering laws, in November 2017, four major tobacco companies were court-ordered to develop and disseminate corrective statements regarding smoking health risks...

Tobacco Litigation, E-Cigarettes, and the Cigarette Endgame

Among his many contributions to the field of public health law, Professor Richard Daynard is perhaps best known for (a) advancing the idea that affirmative litigation, particularly against the tobacco industry, can serve as an effective public health tool, (b) introducing the discussion of an “endgame,” in which the commercial sale of cigarettes—the most deadly form of tobacco use—is phased out. This article unites these two topics and analyzes the potential for affirmative litigation to hasten the end of commercial cigarette sales. In recent years, the major tobacco companies have suggested that they support moving towards a “smoke-free world,” with non-combustible nicotine products such as e-cigarettes gradually replacing more harmful cigarette smoking. Though this rhetoric is deeply cynical—these same companies continue to spend heavily to promote their cigarette brands—it may nonetheless create a window of opportunity for litigants. Past litigation against tobacco companies has foundered on the absence of a “reasonable alternative design” for cigarettes. Today, the tobacco companies’ own statements can be used to show the availability of such alternatives. More importantly, now-public documents from the tobacco industry’s archives help establish the case for treating e-cigarettes as a “reasonable alternative design” for cigarettes. These documents show that the major tobacco companies developed the essential components of e-cigarette technology decades ago, but they chose not to commercialize these products because they feared they would prove to be viable alternatives to cigarettes. This article reviews how the introduction of e-cigarettes may reinvigorate products liability litigation against the manufacturers of conventional cigarettes. Building on the work of Professor Daynard, it also considers how these lawsuits, even if ultimately unsuccessful in court, might nonetheless benefit public health by pressuring the tobacco industry to live up to its public statements and by catalyzing legislative efforts to phase out the sale of cigarettes.

Exploiting a low tax system: non-tax-induced cigarette price increases in Taiwan 2011–2016

IntroductionThis study aims to analyse the non-tax-induced price increasing strategies adopted by tobacco industry in Taiwan, a high-income country with comprehensive tobacco control policies but low tobacco taxes and a...

Public health over private wealth: rebalancing public and private interests in international trade and investment agreements.

The emerging global trade and investment regime is a site of ongoing contestation between states, powerful industry actors and civil society organisations seeking to influence the formation of legal rules, principles, practices and institutions. The inclusion of major transnational tobacco, alcohol and ultraprocessed food companies seeking to influence governments in these processes has resulted in the expanded distribution and consumption of unhealthy commodities across the globe, overshadowing many of the positive impacts for health hypothesised from liberalised trade. The growing number of pathways for market actors to exert undue influence over national and international regulatory environments provided by agreements, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, has given many cause to be concerned. In the context of continued commitment by states to international trade and investment negotiations, we present several avenues for public health scholars, advocates and practitioners to explore to rebalance public and private interests in these deals.

Tobacco and electronic nicotine delivery systems regulation.

The smoking of tobacco cigarettes by millions of people over the past 100 or more years has had devastating public health consequences around the world. In some countries, this has been mitigated by the introduction of multiple regulatory strategies that have taken decades to implement. But even in the countries with most success at tobacco cigarette regulation, some smokers find it very hard to quit and need better treatment. Electronic cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have emerged in the last decade or so. Initially designed to help smokers quit and produced by small independent entities, ENDS have become big business, with major transnational tobacco companies competing hard for market share where, for example, in the United States, a single device came to dominate the market within a couple of years and where soaring uptake by adolescents reached levels high enough to alarm the FDA. No doubts remain about the damaging health consequences of tobacco cigarettes. Controversies persist about e-cigarettes-their efficacy, health impacts, development of addiction and whether or not they provide a "gateway" to tobacco cigarette smoking. The regulation of tobacco cigarettes falls under a global WHO treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC); over 180 countries are party to the FCTC. The regulation of ENDS has no such treaty, varies considerably around the world and in many countries remains completely untrammelled by specific directives. This paper will not discuss the evidence for or against the of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation (effectively discussed in this issue by Dr. Wallace) but aims to review the current state of tobacco regulation around the world, identify key differences in ENDS regulation, examine the impact of industry influence on public health policy and determine how the lessons of tobacco control should apply to ENDS.

Using Opioid Settlement Proceeds for Public Health: Lessons from the Tobacco Experience

State, county, and city governments across the country have filed hundreds of lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. The odds are high that these lawsuits will culminate in a “global settlement agreement” that requires the defendants to pay billions of dollars to states and localities that have been harmed by the opioid epidemic. Though much of that money will—and should—be spent to reimburse communities for opioid-related costs they have already incurred, such a settlement would also provide a tremendous opportunity to strengthen the nation’s public health system infrastructure in order to better protect against future public health challenges. The experience of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) with the major tobacco companies, however, suggests that setting aside funds for public health will not be easy. This article reviews the history of how states spent their MSA funds, with a focus on the efforts of public health advocates to ensure that some portion of the funds were spent on tobacco prevention and cessation. These efforts were, in many cases, successful in the short term, but they were not sustained over time. This article will summarize lessons learned from the MSA experience that can be applied to a potential opioid settlement agreement.

The failure of the UK to tax adequately tobacco company profits.

A key driver of the global tobacco epidemic is the massive profit earned from manufacturing tobacco products despite high levels of product taxation. Two of the four major Transnational Tobacco companies are based in the UK, where there is growing evidence of corporate tax avoidance by transnational firms and where there are calls for the industry to pay more towards the harms caused by tobacco products. UK tobacco company profit and corporation tax data between 2009 and 2016 is obtained from publically available sources. The intention is not to perform a piece of forensic accounting but to establish the broad pattern of profit and taxation in order to inform consideration of tobacco product and firm taxation, and hence public health. Very little profit based taxation has been paid in the UK despite high levels of reported profits, both in the domestic market and globally. The UK needs better reporting and corporate taxation standards. Tobacco companies should be made to pay more profit based taxation, such as by extending the surcharge on corporation tax currently paid by UK banks, and by making sure companies pay appropriate taxes when reorganizing corporate structures.

,,,Using Opioid Settlement Proceeds for Public Health: Lessons from the Tobacco Experience

State, county, and city governments across the country have filed hundreds of lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. The odds are high that these lawsuits will culminate in a “global settlement agreement” that requires the defendants to pay billions of dollars to states and localities that have been harmed by the opioid epidemic. Though much of that money will—and should—be spent to reimburse communities for opioid-related costs they have already incurred, such a settlement would also provide a tremendous opportunity to strengthen the nation’s public health system infrastructure in order to better protect against future public health challenges. The experience of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) with the major tobacco companies, however, suggests that setting aside funds for public health will not be easy. This article reviews the history of how states spent their MSA funds, with a focus on the efforts of public health advocates to ensure that some portion of the funds were spent on tobacco prevention and cessation. These efforts were, in many cases, successful in the short term, but they were not sustained over time. This article will summarize lessons learned from the MSA experience that can be applied to a potential opioid settlement agreement.

Evolution of Electronic Cigarette Brands From 2013-2014 to 2016-2017: Analysis of Brand Websites.

BackgroundThe electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) industry has grown in size and organizational complexity in recent years, most notably with the entry of major tobacco companies in 2012 and the proliferation of vape shops. Many brands maintain retail websites that present e-cigarette marketing claims and sell directly to consumers. Understanding of the evolving composition of different types of e-cigarette brand websites is currently underdeveloped.ObjectiveThis paper presents how e-cigarette brand websites surveyed in 2013-2014 evolved by 2016-2017, and how the websites run by different types of e-cigarette producers currently differ.MethodsIn 2016-2017, we revisited 466 e-cigarette brand websites surveyed in 2013-2014, 288 of which were extant, and identified 145 new English-language websites. We compared product designs, marketing claims, and age-based warnings presented by types of e-cigarette producers: major tobacco companies, independent vape shops, and independent internet-only companies.ResultsAmong the 433 websites examined in 2016-2017, 12 were owned by major tobacco companies, 162 operated a physical vape shop, and 259 were internet-only operations. Closed-system product designs were sold by 83% (10/12) of tobacco-owned brands. In comparison, 29.0% (47/162, P<.001) of vape shop and 55.2% (143/259, P=.06) of internet-only brands sold closed-system designs. Compared with vape shop and internet-only brands, tobacco-owned brands offered a smaller set of product models (P values <.001) and a narrower range of flavors (P values <.01), with greater emphasis on the traditional combustible cigarette flavors of tobacco and menthol (P values <.001). Tobacco-owned brands also offered a narrower range of nicotine options than the vape shops (P=.002) and were less likely to offer nicotine-free e-liquid compared with internet-only and vape shop brands (P values <.001). Finally, 83% (10/12) of tobacco-owned brand websites featured age verification pop-up windows. In comparison, only 50.2% (130/259) of internet-only brands (P=.01) and 60.5% (98/162) of vape shop brands (P=.06) featured age verification windows. Websites surveyed in both 2013-2014 and 2016-2017 became more likely to sell open-system mods (P<.001) and sold an increased number of product models (P<.001), flavors (P<.001), and nicotine options (P<.001). Prevalence of several types of claims decreased significantly, including indirect claims regarding smoking cessation (P<.001), claims regarding e-cigarettes as healthier (P<.001), less expensive (P<.001), and usable in more places (P<.001) compared with combustible cigarettes.ConclusionsThe number of e-cigarette brands has not appeared to increase since 2014, even as website messaging evolved, with brands owned by tobacco companies and vape shops pulling in opposite directions. Brands owned by tobacco companies offered a limited range of e-cigarette products, whereas brands owned by vape shops emphasized a panoply of flavor and nicotine options. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory action may influence the types of e-cigarette products offered and the market shares of various companies.

PL 01.01 Current Status of Smoking Cessation Program (Tobacco Control)

PL 01.01 Current Status of Smoking Cessation Program (Tobacco Control)

Philip Morris USA: Life after the Master Settlement Agreement (a)

When Philip Morris USA (PMUSA) president and CEO Michael Symanczyk took office in 1997, he began to re-envision how to take his company forward in the midst of public outrage over the negative health consequences related to smoking, especially among youth. The case reviews the social and economic history of tobacco and smoking in the United States and provides context surrounding the crisis related to the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) between four major tobacco companies, including PMUSA, and 46 states. The A-case concludes with Symanczyk contemplating how he will draft a new mission, values and strategy statement for the company. Excerpt UVA-S-0157 March 25, 2010 PHILIP MORRIS USA: LIFE AFTER THE MASTER SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT (A) As 1999 drew to a close, Michael Szymanczyk took stock of the remarkable rise and dramatic decline of cigarette smoking over the past century. Szymanczyk had joined Philip Morris USA (PMUSA) in 1990 as senior vice president of sales; recognized for his ability to command as well as his commanding presence, Szymanczyk had been promoted to president and CEO in 1997, becoming the unit's fifth CEO in 10 years. One of his first actions when he took the new position in December 1997 was to re-envision PMUSA's mission, values, and strategy. Szymanczyk was promoted amid a sea change in U.S. public opinion and policy prior to the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), whereby PMUSA and three other tobacco companies paid $ 206 billion to 46 states to cover the public health costs of tobacco use and to put an end to state class-action lawsuits being brought against their companies. With U.S. cigarette sales smoldering and pressure from public health advocates increasing, Szymanczyk had to steer the company into the next millennium. How could PMUSA, the kingpin of U.S. tobacco, survive in such an antitobacco atmosphere? How could he rally employees embittered from years of battling the backlash? Should the company get out of tobacco altogether or simply change the way it did business? . . .

The Share Price Effect of CVS Health's Announcement to Stop Selling Tobacco: A Comparative Case Study Using Synthetic Controls.

We study how the announcement by CVS Health, a large US-based pharmacy chain, to stop selling tobacco products affected its share price and that of its close competitors, as well as major tobacco companies. Combining event study and synthetic control methodologies we compare measures of CVS's stock market valuation with those of a peer group consisting of large publicly listed firms that are part of Standard & Poor's S&P 500 stock market index. CVS's announcement is associated with a short-term decrease in its share price, whereas close competitors have benefitted from CVS' decision. We also find a negative share price effect for Altria, the largest US domestic tobacco firm. Overall our findings are consistent with markets expecting consumers to shift from CVS to alternative outlets in the short-run, and interpreting CVS' decision to drop tobacco products as signal that other firms may follow suit.

Shared vision, shared vulnerability: A content analysis of corporate social responsibility information on tobacco industry websites

Tobacco companies rely on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to improve their public image and advance their political objectives, which include thwarting or undermining tobacco control policies. For these reasons, implementation guidelines for the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommend curtailing or prohibiting tobacco industry CSR. To understand how and where major tobacco companies focus their CSR resources, we explored CSR-related content on 4 US and 4 multinational tobacco company websites in February 2014. The websites described a range of CSR-related activities, many common across all companies, and no programs were unique to a particular company. The websites mentioned CSR activities in 58 countries, representing nearly every region of the world. Tobacco companies appear to have a shared vision about what constitutes CSR, due perhaps to shared vulnerabilities. Most countries that host tobacco company CSR programs are parties to the FCTC, highlighting the need for full implementation of the treaty, and for funding to monitor CSR activity, replace industry philanthropy, and enforce existing bans.

Tobacco, Alcohol, and Processed Food Industries - Why Do Public Health Practitioners View Them So Differently?

Tobacco, Alcohol, and Processed Food Industries - Why Do Public Health Practitioners View Them So Differently?

Smokers' Early E-cigarette Experiences, Reasons for Use, and Use Intentions.

This study examined the context of smokers' first e-cigarette experiences, reasons for trying e-cigarettes, not continuing their use, and future use intentions. We surveyed a nationally representative sample of 519 current cigarette smokers in the United States (classified as never, current, or former e-cigarette users/triers) in April 2014 about their e-cigarette experiences and use intentions. Among ever e-cigarette users/triers, 43% purchased an e-cigarette on their own as their first method of trial. These respondents were more likely to have used e-cigarettes more times than those who first tried e-cigarettes from a friend. Positive perceptions about first experiences were significantly higher among current (34.5%) compared to former e-cigarette users/triers (17.9%). Few (8.7%) current e-cigarette users/triers had a negative first experience. Susceptibility to future e-cigarette use was significantly associated with e-cigarette use status, intention to quit smoking and satisfaction with first e-cigarette experience. Among those interested in e-cigarettes, 26.3% were more interested in trying an e-cigarette made by a major tobacco company and 31.8% in trying an e-cigarette that looked "similar" versus different (13.8%) than a real cigarette. The context and perceptions of e-cigarette trial experiences, product quality, style and manufacturer may influence e-cigarette trial and use.

Electronic Cigarettes in the EU: The Political Economy of Product Regulation

You are the CEO of an e-cigarette company that has just been acquired by a major tobacco company. Your company operates in the European market. The July 2013 draft of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) recently has been crafted by the European Commission, but it has not yet been examined by the EU Parliament and its Council. The draft proposes that all e-cigarette products be classified as medical devices, regardless of nicotine content. This is the strictest available mode of regulation. If the directive goes into effect as written, e-cigarettes would have to undergo costly and lengthy clinical trials to receive approval and face much stricter marketability restrictions. The case details the state of the e-cigarette industry in 2013, including consumer data, distribution, competition from similar products, and public health concerns. Students will analyze the current regulatory environment, determine what outcome would be most favorable to the e-cigarette industry, and identify the ways to achieve that goal.

Commentary on Brose et al. (2015): Protecting individual and public health by regulating electronic cigarette nicotine delivery.

Commentary on Brose et al. (2015): Protecting individual and public health by regulating electronic cigarette nicotine delivery.