An Open Letter to Fletcher Students: Why You Shouldn't Work for Philip Morris

One of my students recently saw a flyer in the Fletcher School advertising a recruiting visit by Philip Morris International. In my Introduction to Community Health class, we are currently studying the international devastation caused by the tobacco industry, and she was shocked to know that Tufts would allow them to recruit here. I share her concern and wanted to take this opportunity to give you my top nine reasons why you don't want to work for Philip Morris or any other tobacco company.

1. Smoking kills. In 2000, smoking killed 4.2 million people, half in the developing world. By 2030, the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts 10 million people will die of tobacco-related illness, 7 million of those who will die will be in the developing world. As recently as 1950, smoking was a negligible cause of death in the developing world.

2. Smoking is a leading killer. Again, according to the WHO, tobacco kills more than AIDS, legal drugs, illegal drugs, road accidents, murder, and suicide combined.

3. Smoking isn't a choice. Philip Morris and other tobacco companies will argue that people choose to smoke. But most smokers want to quit and can't. Nicotine is highly addictive and keeps people puffing.

4. Smoking isn't a choice, part 2. Last year, the tobacco industry in the United States spent over $11 billion promoting its product. International figures are not available, but let's assume, given that the industry is allowed to advertise on radio and television in most other countries, in addition to all other kinds of promotions, that billions are spent worldwide. This ability to create environments in which smoking is portrayed as modern, attractive, sophisticated, and commonplace means that "choice" is really "manufactured desire."

5. Secondhand smoke and children. While secondhand smoke is harmful to all nonsmokers who breathe it, it's particular risky for children. Problems related to secondhand smoke exposure include asthma complications, pneumonia, increased coughing, and middle ear infections. In seven countries (Cuba, China, the Russian Federation, Argentina, Poland, Indonesia, and Chile), more than half of children are still exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes. Philip Morris International is likely to tell you there is no proven risk to secondhand smoke. This is not true.

6. Tobacco farming is toxic. Tobacco is now grown in over 100 countries, including 80 developing countries. Over 10 million acres of land, which could be used to grow food, is instead used to grow tobacco. In addition, tobacco requires heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers, which deplete the soil and sicken those who grow tobacco.

7. Tobacco drying causes deforestation. In more than 30 countries, tobacco-related deforestation is creating what WHO describes as an "environmentally critical situation."

8. Recruiting teenagers (a sad project, given the above points). According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, "No matter what the cigarette companies say or do, they cannot stay in business unless kids smoke. As the companies know, the vast majority of all smokers begin their addictive habit before they reach 18, the legal age for buying cigarettes."

9. Recruiting teenagers (still a sad project). In the words of Philip Morris itself: "Today's teenager is tomorrow's potential regular customer, and the overwhelming majority of smokers first begin to smoke while in their teens" (1981) and "the ability to attract new smokers and develop them into a young adult franchise is key to brand development" (1988).

So Fletcher students, please do not work for these folks. You will help perpetuate a bad business. Should you wish to read about these issues in more detail, please visit the Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids website and read "Golden Leaf, Barren Harvest: The Costs of Tobacco Farming" (www.tobaccofreekids.org) or any of the materials available from the World Health Organization (www.who.int/tobacco/en). A University of Sydney website (tobacco.health.usyd.edu.au) provides access to tobacco industry documents, as does the University of California at San Francisco (legacy.library.ucsf.edu).

Edith D. Balbach, Ph.D. is the director of the Tufts Community Health Program.