BOSTON–In its latest thinly veiled marketing attempt, Philip Morris International (PMI) announced its own life insurance policy in the UK, with plans to expand into other countries.
As it’s done so for years, this is another ploy by PMI to peddle and healthwash its addictive products in an attempt to garner goodwill and regain lost footing in policymaking spaces. Abusive corporations — from PMI to McDonald’s to Nestle — have tried to partner with doctors, health institutions and health insurance giants in an attempt to associate products with healthfulness.
Earlier this year, PMI attempted to partner with health insurance companies to set up the same scheme its life insurance scam is selling now: incentivize people to switch from one addictive and dangerous product to another.
PMI is offering up rebates up to 20 times more to people if they use iQOS over other e-cigarettes on this insurance plan — if this isn’t about selling and incentivizing iQOS, we’re not sure what is. Meanwhile, study after study are raising serious concerns about the “healthy” claims pushed by the industry.
Please see below for a quote from Corporate Accountability Associate Campaign Director Michél Legendre.
“There’s something deeply unjust and disturbing about seeing the word ‘life’ next to the name of a corporation that peddles death. And, at the rates Philip Morris International announced, we have to ask: Is the tobacco giant taking the cash from people who are already addicted to PMI’s deadly products to insure the lives of their next set of victims?
What will PMI turn to next to sell its addictive and dangerous products? A PMI-funded hospital, where the treatment for your tobacco-related illness is discounted if you use iQOS? iQOS is a tobacco product: it’s addictive and it’s very likely dangerous. We have effective solutions to the tobacco epidemic and turning to the world’s largest tobacco corporation is certainly not one of them.”
