NEWS
Philip Morris “surprised” at
criticism of new £2m UK
anti-smoking campaign
Leading cancer charity accused tobacco company of ‘staggering
hypocrisy’ over the three month ‘Hold My Light’ campaign
Tobacco giant Philip Morris says it has
been surprised by criticism of its latest
high-profile campaign drive to encourage
smokers to quit.
The ‘Hold My Light’ campaign emphasises
the need for friends and family support to
help people go smoke free for 30 days.
It runs for three months in the UK and
features a website, video and a major
national advertising push across digital and
print media.
However, critics claimed the £2 million
campaign was simply a way to promote
the company’s smoking alternatives to a
UK audience where cigarette advertising is
banned.
George Butterworth from Cancer Research
UK said: “This is a staggering hypocrisy
from a tobacco company to promote its own
smoking cessation products in the UK while
continuing to promote tobacco cigarettes
across the world.
“The best way Philip Morris could help
people to stop smoking is to stop making
cigarettes.”
Hazel Cheeseman from the stop smoking
charity ASH said: “If they were serious
about a smoke free world they wouldn’t
challenge tobacco legislation around the
world but instead support regulations that
will really help smokers quit and prevent
children from taking up smoking.”
Philip Morris said the campaign was designed
to offer the UK’s 7.4 million smokers a “new,
innovative approach to going smoke-free”
by encouraging smokers to ask friends and
family to pledge small, practical offers of
support if they commit to giving up smoking
for an initial 30 days.
Asking smokers to give up cigarettes for
30 days is based on Public Health England
research that found smokers who gave up
for 28 days were five times more likely to
stop smoking completely.
By Patrick Griffin
Peter Nixon, managing director of Philip
Morris Limited, said: “Our research has
shown that smokers want personal support
from friends and family if they are to give
up cigarettes – and that is what Hold My
Light is designed to offer.”
He added: “This campaign breaks new
ground which is an important next step
in our company going smoke-free and
ultimately stop selling cigarettes. There are
more options than ever before for smokers
to give up cigarettes but often they don’t
realise that alternatives, like e-cigarettes
and heated tobacco are a better choice
than continuing to smoke.”
Responding to the criticism over the
campaign a Philip Morris spokesperson
said: “We are surprised by the criticism. Hold
My Light is an innovative campaign that can
help smokers make a better choice. This
campaign is designed to encourage as many
smokers as possible to give up cigarettes as
fast as possible. We would have thought this
would be welcomed by everyone.”
“This campaign
is designed to
encourage as many
smokers as possible
to give up cigarettes
as fast as possible.
We would have
thought this would
be welcomed by
everyone.”
28 | VM20