“Traitor”, “sold”, “war prize” … The words clash in Derek Yach’s head as he disembarks at Geneva airport from New York. On this day in September 2015, the South African, a world-renowned public health expert, traveled in business class, but he feels like a criminal on the loose.
He blames himself, he could have put on a wide-brimmed hat to hide his face, he tells in his Memoirs, where he assumes the turning point that his career then takes (Project Unthinkable, Barlow Publishing, 2018, untranslated). “What if … oh, my God …” What if the driver dispatched to drive it to Lausanne held a “PMI-Derek Yach” sign? A peek into the Arrivals Hall. Phew! No one he knows.
In this city, for almost ten years, Derek Yach led the Tobacco Free Initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO). He who sees himself in “Tobacco control rockstar” was one of the main architects of a historic international treaty that blocks the tobacco lobby’s access to public decision-makers. It is this same man who, that day, has an appointment at the headquarters of the largest tobacco company on the planet: Philip Morris International (PMI).
The two hours in the office of CEO André Calantzopoulos go by at lightning speed. In his costume “Perfectly adjusted”, Mr. Calantzopoulos, “Public enemy n ° 1” champions of public health, talks about the transformation of its sector, “Reduction of the risks associated with smoking”, smoke-free future. Derek Yach believes it.
Two years later, in September 2017, the tobacco industry hosted a conference in the five-star lounges of the InterContinental New York Barclay hotel in the United States. Derek Yach y ad the creation of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, of which he accepted to take the presidency. Fully funded by Philip Morris to the tune of $ 80 million (67.22 million euros) for twelve years, or nearly $ 1 billion (840 million euros), the philanthropic organization aims to “Stop smoking in a generation”. The jackpot is largely intended to fund research “Independent”.
Force the doors
Derek Yach assures him: the statutes of the foundation, its nonprofit and the rules for awarding its grants prohibit Philip Morris from participating in its governance, decisions, strategies or activities.
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