The sale and use of our companies' tobacco and wine products are subject to international, federal, state and local laws and regulations. Consistent with our Vision and Our Cultural Aspiration, Altria Group and its companies advocate on a wide range of public policy issues that affect our businesses. We do this through responsible and constructive engagement with government officials, retailers, wholesalers, adult consumers and other stakeholders.
Participation in the political and public policy processes is vital to our business, serves the best interests of our shareholders, employees, trade partners and adult consumers, and is a necessary component of good corporate citizenship. Altria Group and its companies pursue our public policy objectives with integrity, responsibility and in full compliance with all laws. All of our political and public policy activities receive significant internal and external oversight, including active reviews by Altria’s Board of Directors. Additionally, our voluntary, wide-ranging disclosures provide meaningful information to shareholders, enabling them to understand our work in this area and to assess whether our activities may create any unnecessary risks.
Each year, legislators introduce hundreds of legislative proposals that are important to our businesses and our stakeholders. There are many issues that impact our products and companies, including: