Welcome to Philip Morris ČR. The history of Philip Morris International in the Czech Republic began in 1987 when PMI granted a license to produce Marlboro to the Czechoslovakian tobacco industry, a predecessor of the state-owned company Tabák, a.s. In 1992, Philip Morris International acquired a majority-share in Tabák, a.s. As of November 1, 2000 the company was renamed Philip Morris ČR a.s. Today we are the largest manufacturer of tobacco products in the Czech Republic and are listed on the Prague Stock Exchange. (The latest shareholder information documents are available in the Shareholder Information section below and the Archived Reports page.)

Our factory in Kutna Hora can trace its roots back to 1812 when a small facility began producing pipe and snuff tobacco. Today our modern factory produces a wide range of local and international brands, including Marlboro, L&M, Petra, and Sparta, and employs over 800 people.

Philip Morris ČR is also a significant contributor to charitable and cultural programs throughout the country. We support the VIA foundation which provides funding to a number of charitable projects, including the development of community centers, public parks and social programs aimed at improving the living conditions of disadvantaged people.

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.