Page Contents:
- Philip Morris USA Animal Care & Use Statement
- Corrective Statement
Philip Morris USA (PM USA) recognizes and understands that, while animal research is an essential step in certain product development and health-and safety-related testing measures, all animal testing should be conducted in a manner that is responsive to the sensitivities raised by the use of animals in scientific research.
PM USA is committed to the responsible care and use of laboratory animals in research we conduct or fund. PM USA’s use of laboratory animals is guided by the widely-recognized principles known as the 3Rs of research, which are enumerated in guidance associated with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Welfare Regulations (AWRs) and are accepted and employed at many major consumer products companies and medical research facilities.
Replacement – use of non-animal experiments such as mathematical models, computer simulations and in vitro biological systems wherever appropriate.
Reduction – reducing the numbers of animals used in studies to the absolute minimum necessary to obtain valid results.
Refinement – identification of techniques and use of less invasive procedures to minimize pain and distress.
It is our policy to conduct and fund our research in a manner that humanely and responsibly cares for and uses laboratory animals while supporting the advancement of scientific knowledge.
Sources:
USDA/APHIS/AC (May 1997, revised June 2000). Policy #12:
Animal Care Policies. Available from USDA/APHIS/AC, 4700 River Rd., Unit 84, Riverdale, MD 20737-4981.
At Altria Group's 2007 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, stockholders voted on a proposal submitted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) requesting the company to adopt and post an Animal Welfare Policy for animals used in research and testing. In its statement in support of the proposal, PETA referred to mistreatment of animals used in testing by Covance, Inc., an independent laboratory headquartered in Princeton, N. J.
During discussion of the proposal at the Annual Meeting, Altria Group's Chairman, Louis C. Camilleri, stated that the company had never used Covance for animal testing. Subsequent to the meeting, the Chairman learned that the company's subsidiary, Philip Morris USA, had, in fact, funded two studies conducted by Covance, each involving four rats.
Altria Group apologizes for its miscommunication about the use of Covance.
Philip Morris USA is committed to the humane treatment of laboratory animals in all animal research conducted either by the company itself or by independently-retained laboratories such as Covance. All of its animal research, including these two studies, is conducted in accordance with standards prescribed by applicable laws and regulations such as the USDA Animal Welfare Regulations (AWRs), as well as standards endorsed by well-respected domestic and international scientific bodies such as the National Institutes of Health Public Health Service Policy on the Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, the Guidelines of the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS), the Society of Toxicology and the American Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC).
