Country Overview
Key Facts
Number of Employees: Approximately 60
Main Brand:
Marlboro
Welcome to Philip Morris Limited, Philip Morris International's affiliate in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The history of our business in the U.K. dates back to 1854 when Mr. Philip Morris opened a tobacco shop on London's Bond Street. In doing so, he laid the foundation for what is now the leading international tobacco company in the world.
Philip Morris Limited was first incorporated in 1950 but it was not until recently that we opened affiliate offices in the U.K. and Ireland. Today, we are based in London and Dublin and are responsible for the sale and merchandising of Philip Morris International brands, including Marlboro. We employ nearly 60 people throughout the U.K. and Ireland
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 plain packaging, point of sale display bans, total bans on communications to adult consumers, and bans on the use of all ingredients in tobacco products.