The World Health Organization estimates that there will still be over a billion smokers by 2025.1
There’s no doubt that quitting, or better still, never starting to smoke is the best choice and so efforts to discourage smoking and encourage cessation must continue.
But with so many people continuing to smoke, it makes sense that they should have access to and accurate information about better alternatives to cigarettes.
Why would anyone deny them this opportunity?
A few important steps are needed to make this commonsense approach a reality for millions of smokers.
- You need to invent better alternatives to cigarettes.
- These alternatives should be appealing to adult smokers, by delivering a taste and sensory experience that leads adult smokers, who would otherwise continue to smoke, to switch completely.
- A large number of these smokers must switch to better products and stop smoking cigarettes altogether.
Read more on the science
PMI's vision for a smoke-free future (without cigarettes)
Jacek Olczak, CEO of Philip Morris International, speaks to camera:
This company is about the progress.
This company wants to change the world.
If we can get there, this is going to be phenomenal.
[Classical music]
Text on screen reads: We've built the world's most successful cigarette company,
but we have thoroughly transformed,
taking great strides towards realizing our vision of replacing cigarettes for good.
Stefano Volpetti, President, Smoke-Free Inhaled Products & Chief Consumer Officer for PMI, speaks to camera:
This company has had the courage,
the visionary leadership,
to establish a new direction, to disrupt the category.
Text on screen reads:
It's why we've invested more than $10.5 billion to date
and employed over 1,500 scientists, engineers and R&D experts to develop our smoke-free products.
Michael Voegele, Chief Digital and Information Officer for PMI, speaks to camera:
I think it’s a unique challenge, being part of a team that revolutionizes the industry.
Text on screen reads:
It's our ambition that within the next two years, more than 50 percent of our net revenue will come from smoke-free products.
Jacek Olczak continues speaking:
The big aspirations address the problem of smoking,
going smoke-free,
over 50 percent of revenues coming from this product.
This is very ambitious and that calls for a progress.
Marian Salzman, Senior Vice President, Global Communications for Philip Morris International, speaks to camera:
We’ve said yes to people when they want to ask us questions.
We’ve told them the truth when they’ve posed the questions.
Text on screen reads:
With the right regulatory encouragement and support from civil society
we believe many countries can end cigarette sales within 10 to 15 years.
Jacek Olczak continues speaking:
If you compare it to many other industries
which also were going for some transformation driven by the product,
nobody is coming that close, as we are.
Text on screen reads:
Innovation, science and technology drive our transformation,
helping us deliver a better, smoke-free future.
Philip Morris International logo appears.
Text on screen reads:
It's always better to quit tobacco and nicotine altogether, but those who don't, deserve access to and accurate information about better alternatives to cigarettes.
Music ends.
In pursuing our vision of delivering science-backed smoke-free products, we are eager to see measures introduced that drive large-scale switching as quickly as possible. We are confident that the right mix of government leadership and commercial initiative will dramatically accelerate efforts to reduce the health burden of smoking.
1Bilano V, Gilmour S, Moffiet T, d'Espaignet ET, Stevens GA, Commar A, Tuyl F, Hudson I, Shibuya K. (2015) Global trends and projections for tobacco use, 1990–2025: an analysis of smoking indicators from the WHO Comprehensive Information Systems for Tobacco Control. Lancet 385:966-76.
