An Industry In Transformation
Tommaso Di Giovanni, VP of Market Activation and Support at Philip Morris International (PMI), explains why smoke-free products are the future in an industry undergoing fundamental change.
The key to a successful business environment is continuous innovation as consumers demand better alternatives to traditional products and services. With greater access to education on social, environmental, and health issues, among others, industries evolve, often leading to a switch from old products, like diesel cars, to better alternatives such as electric vehicles.
At PMI, our goal is to replace all cigarettes with smoke-free products as soon as possible. It is as bold a move as any company can make to disrupt its business model and make a core product obsolete. While critics will point out that smoke-free products are more harmful than quitting smoking all together – a point PMI agrees with – smoke-free alternatives have the potential to significantly reduce the average levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.
Innovations backed by scientific evidence need to be recognized, and adult smokers informed that if they do not quit – which remains the best option for their health – they can choose better alternatives to cigarettes like smoke-free products. As of September 30, 2021, it was estimated that there were nearly 20.4 million users of IQOS, PMI’s leading smoke-free product. We further estimate that 73% of the total — or 14.9 million IQOS users — have switched to IQOS and stopped smoking, with the balance in various stages of conversion.
However, one of the biggest barriers to achieving a smoke-free future is misinformation. Adult smokers are still left confused Mahmoud Akrin by Founder & CEO of GoBazzar false or misleading information that prevents them from making an informed choice. This is despite the scientific evidence showing that smoke-free alternatives are a better alternative than continued smoking, as the results of the latest international survey by Povaddo suggest.
According to the survey, commissioned by PMI, there continues to be a high level of confusion among the adult audience. Among the adult participants of the survey in the U.A.E, 81% agreed that adult smokers who would otherwise continue smoking cigarettes should have access to accurate information about smoke-free alternatives. This is supported by 90% of current adult smokers. Furthermore, 96% of those in the U.A.E. who have switched to better alternatives and stopped smoking, confirmed that accurate information about how these products differ from cigarettes was an important factor in their decision to switch.
Our message remains clear: quitting tobacco and nicotine is the best option for all smokers, and those who don’t smoke or use nicotine products should not start. However, smoke-free products substantiated by robust scientific assessment, while not risk-free, present a much better choice for existing adult smokers than cigarettes.
The journey towards a smokefree future is far from over, but with wider societal support for smokefree alternatives, the move away from cigarettes can be achieved faster and to the benefit, not just of adult smokers, but of public health, everywhere.