Indonesia - Withdraw Sponsorhip of Another Rock Concert..

January 23, 2009 - Public health officials are calling on Philip Morris International (PMI) to withdraw its sponsorship of a concert on Saturday, January 24, 2009 in Semarang which is part of the Marlboro Rock in Orchestra concert series. The concert series — which has featured a variety of music groups including the hugely popular Slank — is being sponsored and heavily advertised by Philip Morris International and its Indonesian subsidiary Sampoerna.

PMI and other tobacco companies continue to sponsor concerts by famous musicians, which health experts have condemned as a means to market cigarettes to children and to circumvent restrictions on more traditional tobacco advertising.

In July 2008, Philip Morris International was forced to withdraw sponsorship of a concert in Jakarta by U.S. singing star Alicia Keys.

Reference: Health Advocates Call on Philip Morris International to End Concert Sponsorships in Indonesia, Contact: Mark Hurley, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, 1/21/2009.

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