A commonsense approach for public health

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.

1. You need to invent better alternatives to cigarettes.
2. 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.
3. A large number of these smokers must switch to better products and stop smoking cigarettes altogether.

Since 2008, we’ve invested USD 10.5 billion in the development, scientific substantiation, manufacturing, commercialization, and continuous innovation of our smoke-free products to help adults who would otherwise continue to smoke switch to them. 

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.