Tobacco.org

Nabisco Becomes a Pawn of Philip Morris's Marlboro Man: Consumers Resist Through Infact's Escalating Kraft Boycott 

``Philip Morris is subjecting Nabisco to a Boycott that is a serious and growing liability to its Kraft Foods division,'' says Infact Executive Director Kathryn Mulvey. Internal documents made public through US litigation show that the corporation knew in the early 1990's that associating Kraft with Philip Morris would harm public perception of Kraft. ``The tobacco giant's willingness to risk Kraft's-and now Nabisco's-image shows how desperate they are to cover up youth-oriented tactics like the Marlboro Man and buy credibility as countries come together to negotiate a global tobacco control treaty,'' continues Mulvey. . .

The Federal Trade Commission is now accepting public comment on its conditional approval of the sale. In a letter sent today to the FTC, Mulvey argued that consumer interest in Philip Morris's acquisition is broader than questions of competition within the food industry. ``Philip Morris is, first and foremost, the global leader in the deadly tobacco business. If this plan is completed, Nabisco will become a pawn of the Marlboro Man. Support for the Kraft Boycott shows that growing numbers of consumers do not want their food purchases to advance the spread of the tobacco epidemic by enhancing the corporate image and political clout of tobacco transnationals led by Philip Morris,'' wrote Mulvey.

Jump to full article »