Better alternatives to cigarettes are available now that can help hasten
the end of smoking
LAUSANNE, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 2, 2018--
Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE:PM) is today publishing its
position paper on its views surrounding the Eighth Session of the
Conference of Parties (COP8) to the World Health Organization (WHO)
Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC). With more than
one billion people expected to be smoking in 2025, PMI is urging the
WHO, the hundreds of delegates convening in Geneva this week, and the
wider public health community to embrace the potential of innovative
alternatives to cigarettes in order to achieve the UN’s sustainable
development goals for non-communicable diseases as quickly as possible.
Available on PMI.com,
the position paper acknowledges that smoking prevalence is in decline,
but argues that the pace of that decline could be much faster.
In the paper PMI states: “The landscape of tobacco and nicotine products
has evolved significantly over recent years. Not all tobacco products
are the same with respect to their health risks. Moreover, rapid
innovation offers opportunities to accelerate the downward trajectory of
smoking prevalence.”
Ultimately, PMI aims to stop selling cigarettes entirely and is
confident that this can happen in less than a century if smokers who
would otherwise continue to smoke are proactively encouraged to switch
to less harmful alternatives, which already exist but are either not
well known or in some cases restricted.
Where these products have been adopted, for instance, in countries such
as Japan and the U.K., there have been unprecedented declines in
cigarette sales. Progress in these countries signals the potential for
great change across the globe and is the core reason why PMI has
publicly committed its future to being smoke-free, and continues to
develop new science-based technologies and innovations that offer better
alternatives to men and women who would otherwise continue to smoke.
PMI’s policy making recommendations published today include:
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Policies must continue to dissuade minors, ex-smokers, and non-smokers
from using tobacco- and nicotine-containing products, while making
better alternatives to cigarettes available to adults who smoke.
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Tobacco control policies should encompass tobacco-harm reduction
strategies as well as supply and demand measures that encourage
smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke to switch to better
alternatives.
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There should be thorough, independent verification of manufacturers’
products and science to assess how ENDS [electronic nicotine delivery
systems] and novel and emerging tobacco and nicotine products can
support policies to reduce smoking prevalence.
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There should be national and global surveillance systems to study
market trends. This surveillance should include data on product usage,
including switching rates associated with different tobacco and
nicotine products, to enable accurate reporting of smoking prevalence
and the use of ENDS and novel and emerging tobacco products.
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Incentives should encourage investment and continuous research and
development of less harmful alternatives, including the establishment
of quality and performance standards for smoke-free products.
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Mechanisms should be established to enable transparent interaction and
consultation between governments and producers of emerging tobacco and
nicotine products.
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Notes to Editors
To view the full position statement please click here.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181002005729/en/
Source: Philip Morris International
Philip Morris International
Ryan Sparrow
+41 (0)58 242 4500
ryan.sparrow@pmi.com