Philip Morris International Caught in Philippines in Another Concert S...( Company Urged to End Role as It D...),Health

Company Urged to End Role as It Did with Alicia Keys Concert in Indonesia

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the second time in recent weeks, international tobacco control advocates are calling on Philip Morris International to withdraw its sponsorship and promotion of a major concert, this time in the Philippines where the company's activities appear to violate national law.

Last month, Philip Morris International withdrew its sponsorship of singer Alicia Keys' concert in Jakarta, Indonesia, after the company was criticized for engaging in cigarette marketing that appealed to children and after Ms. Keys called for the sponsorship to be withdrawn.

Now health advocates are urging Philip Morris International to end its involvement in an August 30 reunion concert by the popular Filipino band Eraserheads, which has been called the "Beatles of the Philippines." Those seeking tickets to the concert are being directed to http://www.marlboro.ph, a web site run by Philip Morris International's Philippine subsidiary. To receive tickets and information, visitors to the web site must provide personal contact information that would allow Philip Morris International to send them promotional materials for cigarettes.

The reunion concert also has generated enormous Internet buzz that often mentions the Marlboro web site and brand name, resulting in positive publicity for Philip Morris International and its best-selling Marlboro cigarette brand.

Last week, the Philippines Department of Health warned Philip Morris International that it was violating the country's tobacco regulation law. As of July 1, 2008, the law prohibits all forms of tobacco advertising in mass media including the Internet, places strict restrictions on other tobacco promotional activities (for example, allowing promotional displays only at point-of-sale of adult only facilities), and bans tobacco company s
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