THE Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has warned that funding of smoking harm research by Philip Morris International (PMI), the world's largest cigarette company, reflects Big Tobacco's attempt to gain a new generation of users.
PMI, the sole funder of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW), which claims its mission is to end smoking, contributed the vast majority of the FSFW's $166.2M income from 2019-21.
RACGP President, Dr Nicole Higgins, has previously called for a crackdown on nicotine vaping products, which are often marketed to young people and sidestep regulations. She says that the FSFW is just a front for PMI's real business, nicotine addiction.
The RACGP supports nicotine vaping with GP supervision but warns that the industry is already lobbying for unrestricted sales in Australia, which would lead to a new generation of young users struggling to stop. Dr Higgins calls the FSFW research a continuation of Big Nicotine's fight against public health.
