Why Philip Morris anti-smoking ads are being slammed for hypocrisy

Like any other public company, Phillip Morris has a duty to its shareholders, its employees and its manufacturing chain - including tobacco farmers - as well as to its customers

A new advertising campaign from tobacco giant Philip Morris has drawn accusations of hypocrisy from official health bodies even though it advocates giving up smoking. ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) echoed the sentiment, describing the company’s press ads – which including a wraparound of a daily newspaper – as a wheeze to enable the manufacturer of the iconic Marlboro brand to get around the UK’s anti-cigarette advertising regulations.

The “Hold My Light” campaign builds on earlier Phillip Morris adverts in which the company claimed that it wished to stop selling cigarettes in the UK.