Strategy & Approach - Altria

Owning tobacco companies presents a variety of business challenges – some typical of many Fortune 500 companies and others specific to the products made by our companies.

We believe our position as the parent company of some of the largest domestic tobacco manufacturers provides us with a unique perspective and carries with it the opportunity to work collaboratively on the challenges we face.

 

Altria’s tobacco companies support programs and work with stakeholders in an effort to make progress in three important areas:

COMMUNICATING TOBACCO HEALTH EFFECTS

Some of the ways that our tobacco companies communicate about the health effects of tobacco products include health warnings on packaging, websites and miniature brochures placed on cigarette packs.

HELPING REDUCE UNDERAGE TOBACCO USE

Kids should not smoke or use any tobacco product. Our tobacco operating companies invest in a range of programs directed at helping reduce underage tobacco use. Our companies’ programs and annual underage tobacco prevention plans are informed by societal expectations in addition to legal and regulatory requirements.

Altria’s tobacco companies:

  • support programs and organizations that have a positive influence on kids and their decision not to engage in risky behavior like tobacco use; and
  • take steps designed to limit reach of their brands and marketing materials to unintended audiences.


In addition, Altria has established and communicated its Standards for Underage Tobacco Prevention to its tobacco operating companies.

SUPPORTING CESSATION

If an adult consumer is concerned about the health effects of tobacco use, the best thing to do is quit. Philip Morris USA’s QuitAssist® resource is designed to help connect adult tobacco users who have decided to quit with expert quitting information from public health authorities. John Middleton and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company communicate about and provide links to this resource from their websites.

PM USA also supports scientific innovation by providing grants to contribute to the development of improved smoking cessation methods.

Mission & Values

Our Mission & Values reflect what we are doing as a business and how we do it.

FDA REGULATION AND TOBACCO SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS

In the late 1990s, Philip Morris USA and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company signed tobacco settlement agreements with state attorneys general. The Tobacco Settlement Agreements fundamentally changed how tobacco products are advertised, marketed and sold in the United States. The companies are committed to continuing to meet their obligations under these agreements.

Under these agreements, PM USA has made payments of more than $51 billion to the states between 1997 and 2010, and USSTC paid $107 million to the American Legacy Foundation. The companies have encouraged the states to devote a significant portion of these funds to support effective tobacco cessation programs and programs to prevent underage use.

In June 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was given broad regulatory authority over tobacco products. The law gives the FDA the authority to address a range of tobacco issues, including  reducing underage tobacco use, encouraging cessation and communicating the health effects of tobacco products.