Philip Morris the present American tobacco giant says that smoking does not cause damage to fertility. Some of the pro-smoking campaigners declare that smoking can fight disease . Sophie Goodchild and Martin Hodgson report clearly states that these are the new marketing strategies, which the cigarette company has adopted to conquer new markets and play down the risks. Recently they have also extensively funded research and have spread the message that smoking does not interfere with the process of conception.
The anti-smoking lobby has accused Philip Morris of deception as he claims that smoking improves the chances of having children if smokers take vitamin supplements. Campaigners such as the anti-smoking charity Ash comes down on tobacco giant saying that Phil Morris have turned towards treatments in order to boost their image. The research which is funded by the tobacco giant said that supplements such as mineral selenium and vitamin E boost fertility in men who have low-quality sperm.On the other hand even research that is conducted in Montreal, Canada, fails to mention about the effects of smoking on sperm quality and benefits of vitamin and mineral supplements in the negation of the ill effects of cigarettes. In the recent years the sales of cigarettes have reduced drastically in Western Europe and North America. This was mainly due to the tough anti-smoking laws, higher tobacco taxes and a growing awareness of the people. Statistics shows that in Britain the number reduced to 28 % from 50% among men and in women it slided from 41 % to 24 %. Hence the cigarette manufacturers have turned towards Eastern Europe, Africa and the Far East.
They have also launched aggressive marketing campaigns, which linked tobacco with sex, youth and glamour. The pro smoking campaigners are now saying that research findings prove that smoking may lessen the risk of Parkinson's disease. It may also reduce the risk of hypertension and certain forms of cancer. Even smoker’s children have the benefit of suffering from lower levels of eczema and asthma. Dr Sinead Jones said that tobacco companies are confusing people about the risks of smoking. But Philip Morris denies all these claims and says that his ultimate goal is to safeguard and improve public health.
