Philip Morris International yesterday reaffirmed its commitment to designing a smoke-free future.
‘With more than one million adult smokers who have converted to IQOS [a heated tobacco product], momentum continues to grow behind the company’s full-scale effort to market smoke-free products that can ultimately replace cigarettes,’ the company said in a press note.
‘PMI’s new website offers a look into its vision for the future, and how its new products can have a significant impact on adult smokers and society.’
“Adult smokers are looking for product choices that offer the satisfying taste, ritual, and pleasure they get from cigarettes, but with far lower amounts of the harmful compounds found in smoke,” said Tony Snyder, PMI vice president of communications.
“After more than 10 years of research and development, today we have both the science and the technology to make these products a reality for the world’s 1.1 billion smokers.”
‘IQOS is one of four smoke-free products from PMI to address adult smoker demand and varying preferences,’ the press note said. ‘It is a heated tobacco product that was launched in late 2014 and is expected to be available in key cities in over 30 markets in 2017.
‘Since 2008, PMI has hired over 400 scientists and experts and invested over US$3 billion in research, product development and scientific substantiation.
‘Results of scientific research to assess the reduced-risk potential of IQOS are very promising, and the company openly shares its scientific methodologies and findings for independent third-party review and verification.
‘In December 2016, PMI submitted a Modified Risk Tobacco Product Application (MRTPA) for IQOS to the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products.’
“We’re optimistic about the future as we work to progressively transition PMI’s existing cigarette business to potentially less harmful alternatives,” said Snyder.
“There is tremendous opportunity to positively impact public health with the availability of better choices than continued smoking, and we can’t do it alone.
“Contributions from public-health experts, the scientific community and regulators will greatly accelerate switching from cigarettes to smoke-free products.”
The new website is at www.pmi.com.