Frost & Sullivan

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Background

Founded in 1961, the PR firm Frost and Sullivan describe themselves as a “Global Growth Partnership Company” and a “leader in the information and growth consulting industry”.1

Relationship with the Tobacco Industry

Frost and Sullivan has links to the tobacco industry. The Asia-Pacific arm of Frost and Sullivan was co-founded by Rhenu Bhuller, who joined PMI as its Scientific Affairs Manager in July 2019.2

Philip Morris International Commissioned Reports

PMI commissioned PR firm Frost and Sullivan to produce three reports on public attitudes towards Next Generation Products.

The first report, in January 2019, said “57% of [Australian] healthcare professionals agree that alternative products to cigarettes should be legalised,” based on a survey of 126 healthcare professionals.34

In March 2019, Frost and Sullivan and PMI released a second detailed report on e-cigarette and HTP use in New Zealand, which said the public was in favour of the use of these products. At this time the New Zealand government was preparing to review regulation of NGPs.5

In December 2020, PMI and Frost and Sullivan released a third report titled “Tobacco Harm Reduction and Novel Nicotine and Tobacco Products: Evidence from the Japanese Market.” As of December 2020, the full report is only available via registration.6 According to the press release, the report states that the availability, and relaxed regulation, of HTPs such as IQOS  in Japan is associated with a drop in cigarette sales. It promotes the Japanese government’s regulatory model and argues that “The availability of HTPs has had a low impact on the initiation of tobacco use by never-smokers and re-initiation by former smokers”.7 There is little independent evidence on HTP use, including on uptake by non-smokers, and much of PMI’s evidence is based on short term assessments. For more information see PMI’s IQOS: Use, “Switching” and “Quitting.

Harm Reduction Webinar

On 7 December 2020, Frost and Sullivan hosted a webinar on the third report commission by PMI called “Tobacco Harm Reduction and Novel Nicotine and Tobacco Products: Evidence from the Japanese Market”.8

One of the speakers on the webinar agenda was Dr. Kumamaru Hiroya, Vice Director of the AOI University Hospital.8 Hiroya sits on the Expert Advisory Group of the Coalition of Asia-Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).9

Tobacco Tactics Resources

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References

  1. ↑Frost and Sullivan, Frost and Sullivan History, Frost and Sullivan website, accessed December 2020
  2. ↑R. Bhuller, LinkedIn Profile, undated, accessed December 2020
  3. ↑Frost and Sullivan, A Majority of Healthcare Professionals Want Alternatives to Cigarettes Legalised if Appropriately Regulated, PR newswire, press release, January 2019, accessed December 2020
  4. ↑Frost and Sullivan, Understanding of and Attitudes Towards Tobacco Harm Reduction Products: Insights from the Australian Public and Healthcare Professionals, Frost and Sullivan website, December 2018, accessed December 2020
  5. ↑Frost and Sullivan, Attitudes Towards Tobacco Harm Reduction Products in New Zealand, website, March 2019, accessed December 2020
  6. ↑Frost and Sullivan, Tobacco Harm Reduction and Novel Nicotine and Tobacco Products: Evidence from the Japanese Market, website, undated, accessed December 2020
  7. ↑Frost and Sullivan, Sales of Conventional Cigarettes in Japan Reduce by 34% Since Launch of Heated Tobacco Products, PR Newswire, press release, December 2020, accessed December 2020
  8. ↑abFrost and Sullivan, Webinar Registration, undated, accessed December 2020
  9. ↑Coalition of Asia-Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates, CAPHRA Expert Advisory Group, CAPHRA website, undated, accessed December 2020

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