Prohibition at any cost?

Challenging governments and uninformed campaigns

“You should develop a safer product.” For decades, that is what governments and the public health community have told the tobacco industry. Philip Morris International (PMI) has invested billions of dollars in science and technology to achieve that precise objective.

Campaigns, some funded by American special interest groups, are dedicated to just one mission. Under the guise of promoting public health, they are depriving adults who smoke of their right to choose scientifically substantiated better alternatives to continued smoking.

We have a question for them: If not by authorizing new and promising alternatives, how are they planning to reduce health problems related to smoking ? We can only conclude that, in the absence of solutions, such a prohibition could have disastrous consequences for public health.

Let's have a real discussion

We understand the concerns that may be associated with new alternatives, which somewhat overturn dogma. Yet, our objective is the same as public health, our aim is to combat the high smoking-related death rate. We have facts, studies, science that prove that, although no tobacco or nicotine-based product is risk-free, our alternatives come closer to being so. We are ready, whenever those groups want to, to have a real conversation, not based on dogma and misinformation, but on facts, science and a common objective to ensure smokers healthcare.

We call on these groups to: THINK at the hundreds of millions of adults who will continue to smoke without access to better alternatives; STOP ignoring the science and evidence that doesn’t fit with their dogma; and START having a real conversation.

Some of these misguided campaigns have provided grants to media for journalism that many people believe is independent. Ultimately, this undermines the goal of tobacco harm reduction and confuses adults who smoke about better choices. And ironically, these campaigns attack a company that has publicly committed to eliminate cigarettes.

Supporting informed choices through transparency

If people who smoke are denied accurate information—or worse yet, are deceived—about less-harmful alternatives, the vast majority will simply continue to smoke cigarettes.

To set the record straight, we have addressed all of the allegations made against us by these global campaigns. Misinformation regarding our company will not be tolerated. We invite everyone to learn the facts, study our science and arrive at their own conclusions. We have nothing to hide.

Investing in a smoke-free future

We are moving as fast as we can - but, more importantly, many adult smokers are choosing to switch on their own initiative.

We have been clear about our objective to end cigarette sales. This is the future of our company; for PMI, there is no turning back. We have the determination to make it work.

The proof is in the numbers. As of March 31, 2025 :

These facts are the real story.

The question for our critics is simple: Do they want to make it more difficult for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke to choose better products—or do they want to accelerate the transition away from cigarettes by embracing the potential of tobacco harm reduction, which can complement traditional tobacco control measures ?

It is easy to criticize, but it is less easy to find solutions. Our figures are encouraging, and they could be even better, if interest groups, media and governments chose to have a discussion - in order to come up with sustainable ideas - instead of attacking and criticizing without offering any other solution than letting hundred of millions of people continue to put themselves in danger

Set the record straight