Country Overview
Key Facts
Number of Employees: Approximately 3,000
Main Brands:
Marlboro, Philip Morris, Muratti, Brunette, Chesterfield, L&M
Philip Morris International (PMI) has a significant presence in Switzerland, employing over 3,000 people. Our history in Switzerland dates back to 1957 when we signed an agreement with the Neuchâtel-based Fabriques de Tabac Réunies, to produce the first Marlboro cigarettes manufactured outside the United States. In 1963, PMI acquired Fabriques de Tabac Réunies and today this factory is one of PMI’s most important manufacturing facilities, employing over 600 people. The factory produces cigarettes for both the domestic Swiss market and for export to over 40 countries around the world.
Philip Morris S.A., based in Lausanne, is responsible for sales and marketing activities in Switzerland. PM S.A. is the number one tobacco company in Switzerland, and its product portfolio includes 5 out of the top 11 cigarette brands in the country.
The city of Lausanne is also home to PMI’s worldwide Operations Center, where over 1,500 people work to support our business across the more than 180 countries where we sell our products.
PMI’s center for Research & Development (R&D) is also located in Switzerland. Over 500 R&D employees focus on the development of products with the potential to reduce the risk of tobacco related diseases.
Philip Morris International and its affiliates in Switzerland have an active charitable contributions program throughout the country. We support organizations that provide assistance in the communities where our employees live and work. Areas of focus include domestic violence prevention, anti-hunger programs, food banks, and counseling services.
Smoking and Health
Tobacco products, including cigarettes, are dangerous and addictive. There is overwhelming medical and scientific evidence that smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and other serious diseases.
Addiction
All tobacco products are addictive. It can be very difficult to quit smoking, but this should not deter smokers who want to quit from trying to do so.
Secondhand Smoke
Public health officials have concluded that secondhand smoke from cigarettes causes serious diseases in non-smokers, including lung cancer and heart disease. We believe the public health conclusions on secondhand smoke are sufficient to support smoking restrictions in public places.
Effective Regulation
Philip Morris International (PMI) supports comprehensive regulation of tobacco products based on the principle of harm reduction.
To be effective, tobacco regulatory policy must be evidence-based, apply to all tobacco products, and should take into account the views of all legitimate stakeholders including public health authorities, government finance authorities, tobacco manufacturers, and other members of the tobacco supply chain. Regulatory policy must consider the potential to trigger adverse consequences which undermine public health objectives, such as increasing the demand for illicit cigarettes.
While we support comprehensive, effective tobacco regulation, we do not support regulation that prevents adults from buying and using tobacco products or that imposes unnecessary impediments to the operation of the legitimate tobacco market. In that regard, we oppose measures such as generic packaging, point of sale display bans, total bans on communications to adult consumers, and bans on the use of all ingredients in tobacco products.