CNW Telbec- - The Canadian public wants and expects
tobacco companies to be socially responsible and, despite years of
denormalization tactics that have sought to force tobacco companies to the
sidelines, Canadians still want governments to work with the tobacco industry
to find solutions to important issues.
"It simply makes no sense to limit policy making to those with one view
of the issue and to say to all other stakeholders, we do not want your input,
and we do not want you to even try to be socially responsible," Benjamin J.
Kemball, President and CEO of Imperial Tobacco Canada, said today in a keynote
address to the Economic Club of Toronto.
Mr. Kemball pointed to a recent public opinion survey commissioned by the
company on the subject of corporate social responsibility and the tobacco
industry. A full 84% of respondents said they believe that governments and
other stakeholders should work with the tobacco industry to address tobacco
related issues. Only 9% said the industry should not be involved. Asked if
they believe tobacco companies can be socially responsible, respondents were
split down the middle with 46% saying yes and 47% saying no.
"As a tobacco company, we meet a demand for a legal product that has no
such thing as a safe version and we have a duty to act responsibly,"
Mr. Kemball told his audience. "I can assure you that for Imperial Tobacco
Canada, which accounts for the majority of legal tobacco sales in this
country, the fiscal bottom line is not the sole concern. Not by a long shot.
We are totally committed to the principles of corporate social
responsibility."
The company has adopted a Statement of Business Principles, which forms
the basis of its approach to social responsibility. Two key commitments of
this policy, which is posted on the company's Web site, are to engage diverse
stakeholders to better understand their expectations and to report publicly on
its actions.
In this regard, Mr. Kemball announced the company is embarking on its
Let's Talk initiative, a social reporting process in which a broad
cross-section of individuals will be invited to meet with company experts for
an open discussion of their views and concerns on three major issues
identified by stakeholders - youth smoking prevention, harm reduction and
illicit trade. The company intends to release the findings next spring in an
independently verified Social Report, at which time it will detail a proposed
action plan with regards to these issues.
Tobacco companies can be socially responsible, Mr. Kemball told the
audience, and Imperial Tobacco Canada is determined to clearly demonstrate
what it is doing and how it can continue to improve.

Further information on Imperial Tobacco Canada is available on the
Internet at: www.imperialtobaccocanada.com.