Letter to Editor

Dear Editor,
I want to thank you for your May 11th article called “Philip Morris CEO Says Cigarettes Not That Hard To Quit”. I actually attended that Philip Morris International Shareholders’ Meeting as a member of REAL, a youth-empowered tobacco prevention and advocacy organization in the state of Hawaii.

By covering his ridiculous statement you helped reveal the true colors of Philip Morris International and the blatant lies told by it’s CEO Louis Camilleri. How could anyone trust the words of a man like CEO Camilleri who directs a company that continues to heavily market a product that kills more than 6 million people around the world every year?

This statement was just one of many nefarious claims made by CEO Camilleri during the meeting, including mocking youth advocates who asked serious questions about his company’s policies.

Again, your article really shines the light on CEO Camilleri and the entire tobacco industry. Now I hope more people will stand up against the immortality of these tobacco companies.

Mahalo,
Grady Sullivan
21 years old
Pahoa, Hawaii