January 30, 2008 11:32 AM

Thank You For Smoking

Ever see that movie? A satire following the machinations of Big Tobacco's chief spokesman who spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his twelve-year-old son. Well here's a tiny ray of hope for those of you whose kids actually believe that the height of sophistication is sucking down a pack a day.

An announcement today that Philip/Morris Altria will break up into two corporations, one based in the U.S. and the other in Switzerland, gives Corporate Accountability International hope that the evil influence of Big Tobacco will be moderated. For more than a decade this group, which has been selected for the 2008 ballot (http://www.workingassets.com/Recipients.aspx), has worked to stop Philip Morris/Altria from hooking kids on tobacco and interfering in public health policy, and they consider that their campaign has made a major impact on this deadly enterprise. The split is a double edged sword, however. On the one hand, it means that each corporation's economic and political clout will be significantly reduced, but on the other hand, the off-shoring of Philip Morris International means that the U.S. public and policymakers will have fewer levers for pressuring the corporation. Corporate Accountability International is continuing its work on the global tobacco treaty to hold Philip Morris International accountable where U.S. tobacco controls no longer apply.

For more information click here http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org/cms/page1611.cfm.