PM Claims Withdrawal of Ads Was Voluntary

Advertisers of Products Viewed as Harmful Could Come Under Fire
WASHINGTON, D.C.–Philip Morris’ decision last week to pull ads from 42 magazines with more than 2 million readers under 18 years of age raises concerns for other advertisers of products considered harmful.
The company’s move comes after the state attorneys general launched an investigation of Big Tobacco to determine if the industry violated its legal agreement with the states by marketing to youth.
PM maintained that it was never aware of any investigation and decided to pull the ads from magazines, such as Better Homes & Gardens, Newsweek and Vogue, voluntarily.
“We are not doing things because we have to,” said Tom Ryan, a PM representative.