Communicating
Tobacco Health Effects
The public should be guided by the messages of the U.S. Surgeon General, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other public health authorities in making decisions concerning the use of tobacco products.
Our tobacco companies' efforts to communicate about health risks begin with ongoing compliance with federal laws and regulations requiring health warnings on tobacco products.
Congressionally-mandated health warnings have been on cigarette packs since 1966 and on cigarette brand advertising since 1972. Similar warning requirements have been in place since 1986 for smokeless tobacco products and since 2000 for the cigars John Middleton sells.
Our tobacco companies provide reports, such as ingredient disclosures and information about harmful or potentially harmful constituents in tobacco products, to various federal and state agencies, including the FDA.
For more information about product ingredients and how our tobacco companies communicate about the health effects of their products, visit PM USA's, USSTC's, John Middleton's and NJOY's corporate websites.
Seeking Authorization to Communicate Reduced Harm Information
We can only compete in the U.S. marketplace with products authorized by the FDA. And we can only communicate reduced harm information if the FDA permits.
That's why we're seeking authorization from the FDA to put truthful, accurate information about reduced-risk products in the hands of consumers so that they can make a choice that's right for them.
For tobacco harm reduction to be successful, a marketplace of FDA-authorized reduced-risk products must be in place, with more information about the relative risks of those products being communicated to adult smokers.
The regulatory system should respect the rights of adults to make decisions based on accurate information. To make this a reality, the FDA needs to establish clear foundational rules for bringing these new innovative products to market.
Did you Know?
Most U.S. adults 21+ surveyed feel it’s particularly urgent for the FDA to educate stakeholders with accurate and truthful information about the role of nicotine, the lower relative risk of smoke-free nicotine products, and the benefits of switching completely to them.*
88% of health care providers
81% of smoke-free product only consumers
80% of general population adults
73% of cigarette only consumers
* Altria Client Services Tobacco Harm Reduction Engagement Survey – Findings are drawn from a nationwide survey conducted online among adults age 21+ including n=1,000 General Population (margin of error “m.o.e.” +/- 2.9%), n=438 Cigarette Only Consumers (m.o.e. +/- 4.6%), n=405 Smoke-Free Only Consumers (m.o.e. +/- 4.8%), and n=402 Health Care Providers (m.o.e. +/- 4.8%), from May 27 – June 22, 2025. The interview length averaged 17 minutes and the margins of error (m.o.e) for these samples are calculated at the 95% confidence level. The primary objective of this survey was to measure the attitudes and opinions of societal stakeholders nationwide on the public health strategy of tobacco harm reduction and the regulatory reforms needed to advance it.