Philip Morris, Altria and Juul Face Fines and Litigation as Governments Hold Big Tobacco to Account

Washington, D.C. – Recent actions in Canada and Romania aimed at holding some of the world’s largest tobacco and e-cigarette companies accountable for misconduct should send a strong message that governments can and should confront an industry that has long-relied on deceptive marketing and regulatory evasion to sell addictive products.  

In the Canadian province of British Columbia, authorities are suing Juul and Altria to recover the enormous health care costs of addiction and disease. Similar lawsuits have been settled in the U.S. by tobacco companies and Juul for millions of dollars in damages. The claim in British Columbia places significant emphasis on the harms to youth and the way Juul was designed and marketed to create and sustain addiction, particularly among young people. 

In Romania, regulators have fined Philip Morris International’s local affiliate 79 million Romanian lei ($18 million) for fixing resale prices of their IQOS heated tobacco products – exposing how tobacco companies manipulate markets and protect profits from addictive products.  

Together, these actions should embolden governments everywhere to investigate, regulate and litigate against the tobacco and e-cigarette industry. Around the world, tobacco companies will stop at nothing to protect profits, keep people addicted and sell more products. For tobacco and e-cigarette companies, addicting young customers is a business model that will not change unless more governments stand in the industry’s way.