Camel cigarette maker Reynolds America Incorporated (RAI) has taken the decisive, though quite frankly baffling, step of banning smoking in their offices in a move toward a ‘smoke-free workplace’. I don’t know about you, but that makes about as much sense as Facebook blaming a fall in productivity on the overuse of social media in their offices or Land Rover providing each of its employees with a Toyota Prius to save on fuel costs! It seems crazy that such an established organisation after having fended off years of attacks on its products for health and life related issues, should so publicly imply that maybe, just maybe, everyone was right all along.

So, in the worst piece of tobacco PR since “You’re never alone with a Strand” was followed by disastrous sales for that cigarette company in the 50s – as it inspired association between the brand and loneliness – the second largest tobacco company in America has committed a massive corporate faux pas. Apparently it’s perfectly reasonable to run a company that produces a product responsible (according to a World Health Organization report) for 12% of all annual global deaths (of adults over 30), but the “right thing to do” according to spokesman David Howard was to ban their own products in their offices! The interesting part for us, however, is that even though they have banned all tobacco products, this tobacco giant is happy to permit the use of electronic cigarettes in their workplace.

RAI has seemingly accepted the dangers they have previously dismissed regarding secondary smoke inhalation, while acknowledging that electronic cigarettes are a healthier alternative. Perhaps they’ve heard that smokers take more time off work than non-smoking or vaping colleagues? Or, perhaps the fact that vaping employees would require less disposable income, due to the affordability of e-liquids compared with tobacco, has been brought to the attention of their accountants?

Whatever actually caused this outbreak of foot-in-mouth disease, we’re happy that even an organisation with a vested interest in discouraging the use of electronic cigarettes have little alternative than to recognise that they are – indeed – a healthier alternative to smoking.