According to Expansión on December 17, Manuel Chinchilla, CEO of Philip Morris International (PMI) Mexico, expressed the company's support for the regulation of nicotine alternatives following the approval of the e-cigarette reform in Mexico. He emphasized the company's commitment to providing consumers with the right to make informed choices based on scientific evidence. Prior to the e-cigarette sales ban being upgraded to a constitutional level, PMI had applied for and obtained permission to import heated tobacco products and their components.
Currently, the company's products may be included in secondary regulations. PMI advocates for the establishment of "strict regulations" to protect consumers, with a focus on cracking down on illegal products while preserving market space for legal products.
IQOS entered the Mexican market in 2019 and has attracted 100,000 users, with sales at 20 self-operated points of sale and department stores including Sanborns. The new regulations do not specify whether heated tobacco devices will be included, potentially giving PMI room to operate. However, secondary regulations may expand the ban or impose special taxes on the devices.
Since its launch in 2016, PMI has invested $12.5 billion in developing new tobacco products, claiming it provides a less risky option for adult smokers, while banning it will only promote the development of the illegal market.
Since February 2020, when the presidential decree banned e-cigarettes in Mexico, the black market has rapidly expanded. According to the Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks (Cofepris), it is estimated that by 2022, around 5 million people have used e-cigarettes, with 975,000 regular users. Regulatory expert Hiram Vera warns that the ban will only exacerbate the issue. For habitual nicotine consumers, without a legal option, they may turn to the black market to purchase products of unknown origin and quality.
The CEO of Philip Morris International (PMI) Mexico emphasized the need for effective regulation. Despite legal restrictions, illegal products are still easily found on the market, with the real public health threat lying in these illegal products. Therefore, regulation should focus on addressing this issue.
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