In recent years, Philip Morris, the global tobacco group, has steered clear of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos. No wonder. The WEF defines its mission with the pious mantra, “improving the state of the world”. Big Tobacco has been pilloried for damaging global health, due to the link between cancer and smoking. Tobacco executives saw little point in rubbing shoulders with the global elite in the Swiss Alps – and the WEF didn’t want to put tobacco bosses on its lofty panels.
But at this year’s Davos meeting, there was an intriguing whiff of change in the air. André Calantzopoulos, chief executive of Philip Morris, could be spotted stalking the corridors of smart hotels with a new message to impart: the tobacco industry needs support from governments to improve smokers’ health.
Yes, that’s right. In the past couple of years, Philip Morris, along with other giants such as Altria and British American Tobacco, has started promoting the idea that smokers should replace traditional cigarettes with electronic cigarettes.