A leaked document from tobacco giant Philip Morris says the company should target political parties including NZ First to get more favourable regulation for its Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs).

RNZ has obtained the 2017 document ‘Designing a Smoke-free Future in New Zealand’, a corporate affairs plan to lobby for HTPs and other smokeless nicotine products to be embraced as part Smokefree 2025.

The Philip Morris New Zealand (PMNZ) lobbying plan, dated August 2017, was drawn up as the National-led government of the day was legalising vaping products. The document maps out a path for HTPs to gain similar recognition.

“It is essential that we move proactively to control the narrative about PMNZ, our products and in particular, our potential contribution to harm reduction,” the document says.

“We would like to force those opposing PMNZ’s role in a Smokefree NZ … into a position whereby to oppose PMNZ’s RRPs (Risk Reduced Products) is to oppose harm reduction, or be pro-harm.”