Tobacco company seeks government support to enable smoke-free products

Philip Morris International (PMI) has called on the federal government to support its initiative to replace cigarettes and other substances with science-based smoke-free products. 

Mojisola Akpata, director, external affairs, PMI Africa, said this at a recent press conference.

Smoke-free products are designed to deliver nicotine orally without producing smoke or ash. Such products include; e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, snus and other modern oral products.

Speaking at the press conference, Akpata said the company would seek support of the federal government and other stakeholders in its plan for a smoke-free future.

She also said conversations are in progress with the government and other relevant stakeholders to key into the plan.

“We have started discussions with the government and relevant agencies on our move to unsmoke the world with improved non- combustible products made possible by modern science and technology,” she said.

“People need to know that it is not the nicotine in cigarettes that is more harmful but the lighting of a cigarette itself that is more dangerous. Nicotine has little or no harmful effect but the combustibles, hence the introduction of e-cigarettes.”

On his part, Tommaso Di Giovanni, vice-president market activation and support, PMI, said the company does not advise anyone, especially youths, to indulge in smoking, adding that those who find it almost impossible to quit should subscribe to science and technologically improved smoke-free products.

He said products like e-cigarettes have about 95 percent harm reduction.

“If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you smoke, quit. If you don’t quit, change. Quitting smoking and nicotine will always be the best choice. However, scientifically substantiated smoke-free products are a potentially less harmful alternative for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke,” he said.

Di Giovanni said PMI has leveraged technology and science to develop, assess, and commercialise less harmful alternatives to cigarettes further said for over a decade, 

“We are disrupting our business to achieve a bold vision to replace cigarettes with science-based smoke-free products as soon as possible and shifting our resources and fundamentally changing both our purpose and operations,” he added.

“And we are making tremendous progress toward a smoke-free future PMI is also actively working to expand our purpose and evolve into a broader lifestyle, consumer wellness and healthcare company, extending our value proposition and innovative capability to commercialize products that go beyond tobacco and nicotine.”

He also said so many countries are already adopting PMI ideas, including Egypt, Tunisia, South Africa and Morocco, while calling on the federal government to adopt the ideas.