Recently, the Philip Morris International (PMI) held the fifth Technovation event, also known as "The Cube" at its research and development center in Nyon, Switzerland.
Throughout the conference, Daily News Egypt (DNE) engaged in discussions with senior executives, scientists, and R&D experts from PMI regarding the company's transition towards a smoke-free future.
Smoke-free future is just the beginning of fulfilling our mission," said Jacek Olzcak, CEO of PMI.
We are committed to ultimately having a positive impact on society. Therefore, we are working to expand our goals and develop into a broader lifestyle, consumer health, and healthcare company in the long term.
Olzcak added that in 10 years, cigarettes "should be placed in museums.
Furthermore, he stated that the company's goal is for 50% of its total net revenue to come from smoke-free products by 2025.
Over the past decade, traditional cigarettes have become increasingly unpopular as new smoke-free alternatives such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products gain traction worldwide.
The tobacco industry is facing a challenge to reduce the harm caused by cigarettes. As a result, since 2008, PMI has invested over 9 billion dollars in researching, developing, scientifically proving, and commercializing non-combustible alternatives.
These alternatives are not without risk and still provide addictive nicotine; however, PMI has provided compelling evidence to show that they are a better choice than traditional cigarettes for millions of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke.
However, in many countries, the switch to smoke-free products faces many obstacles, as some legislators express skepticism about their impact.
Tommaso Di Giovanni, the Vice President of Global Communications at PMI, discussed the main obstacles faced while adopting smoke-free products with DNE.
All great changes require time to be accepted by society, and smoke-free products are no exception. What's most important is dialogue and transparent information to ensure a shorter timeframe between innovation and adoption. Unfortunately, misinformation and confusion about smoke-free products remain one of the main obstacles we face in moving towards a smoke-free future," said Di Giovanni.
He added that PMI has been consistently working to share accurate information about the science and technology behind its smoke-free products, in order to address misinformation and confusion, such as common misconceptions about the basic principles of nicotine and combustion and their relationship to smoking-related conditions.
In addition, he explained that regulations play a crucial role in the adoption of smoke-free products.
Di Giovanni emphasized, "There is no doubt that reducing cigarette use has significance for public health.
However, he stated that excessive restrictions on all products would not be effective like in the case of France. It is necessary to provide alternative products for smokers, and this is exactly what countries like the UK and New Zealand are doing.
If you establish a regulatory framework for all countries, impose strict restrictions on cigarettes, and provide smokers with better information on alternative products, you can quickly put an end to smoking," he said.
We believe that more and more governments will come to recognize the relative benefits of science-based smoke-free products for adult smokers, or else they will continue smoking.
Company officials believe that innovation and technology can help reduce the harm caused by smoking and play a role in addressing global public health issues.
After years of disruptive thinking, the company has achieved success based on strong scientific research and development experience. They have developed a range of smoke-free alternatives for adult smokers that have been scientifically proven and commercialized.
The company claims that these products showcase how PMI continuously improves user experiences and responds to consumer demands through its constantly evolving technology.
Stefano Volpetti, Chief Consumer Officer at PMI, stated: "PMI has always been an early adopter and innovator driving positive change for legal age smokers who would otherwise continue smoking.
We have made significant progress in our ability to have a positive impact on society by providing better alternatives to the cigarettes that they smoke.
The Science Behind Smoke-Free Products
As is well known, smoking can lead to various serious illnesses and increase the risk of premature death.
Most countries' tobacco control strategies focus on supply and demand measures aimed at preventing initiation, reducing consumption, and promoting cessation. These measures have led to a decline in smoking rates over the past three decades, but are unlikely to completely eliminate smoking quickly. In fact, due to population trends, it is estimated that there will be over one billion smokers by 2025, a number similar to today's.
PMI believes that providing smokers who will continue to smoke with less harmful yet satisfying smoke-free alternatives is worthwhile, given the number of individuals who will continue to smoke and the ongoing development of technology.
In this regard, it is wise for risk-based policies and regulations to allow adult smokers access to scientifically proven smokeless products that can help address the harms caused by smoking more effectively and promptly than traditional policy measures alone.
Gizelle Baker, the Vice President of Scientific Engagement at PMI, stated that seven years ago the company began commercializing the product once the science was in place.
When asked about how the scientific community views this type of research, she replied that many scientists working for tobacco companies have been stigmatized, leaving them afraid to publish genuine scientific findings.
I believe that when we break it down and enter into the realm of science, people want answers and many are willing to examine facts and learn from them," she added.
She stated that when the company launched their project submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they were seeking individuals with expertise and the ability to conduct complex research.
Drawing blood without contaminating the sample when someone is smoking in the room is not an easy task.
We are currently conducting several larger-scale studies in multiple regions. One of them focuses on COPD and involves analyzing medical history, lung function tests, and genetic testing to identify risk factors and track how the disease deteriorates over time. The study will have over 1,800 participants," she stated.
She added that the investigation will focus on the correlation between continued smoking, using smoke-free alternatives, and quitting smoking. These studies will be conducted in Asia, Europe, and the United States to provide long-term global data.
As part of an ongoing long-term assessment, PMI conducted multiple cross-sectional surveys of representative samples of adult populations from Japan, Italy, and Germany to monitor the popularity of its tobacco heating system (THS) after its commercialization.
These studies indicate that the overall use of tobacco or nicotine-containing products (TNP) in Japan, Italy, and Germany has remained stable over the entire time frame, with Italy and Germany having a higher overall TNP use compared to Japan. The studies also show that over time, the use of THS among TNP users has continued to rise, with Japan having a higher THS use (18.4% in 2019) compared to Italy (4.1%) and Germany (1.2%) in 2019," says Baker.
As of September 2022, there are approximately 19.5 million users of PMI heated tobacco products (HTP) worldwide, excluding Russia and Ukraine. Of these users, around 13.5 million (69%) have switched to PMI HTP and stopped smoking.
Regarding the impact of switching to smoke-free products on cardiovascular disease, Baker explained that smoking-related illnesses, such as lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and emphysema, are primarily caused by harmful compounds formed when tobacco is burned rather than by nicotine.
As smokeless products reduce up to 90-95% of harmful substances found in traditional cigarettes, they may lower the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. However, quitting smoking entirely is more effective in reducing the risk.
Heated tobacco products, marketed as a better alternative to smoking, have been pushed into the market, but the American Academy of Pediatrics warns that these devices contain roughly the same amount of nicotine as traditional cigarettes.
As stated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Inhaling nicotine (i.e. nicotine without combustion byproducts) carries lower risks to users than the nicotine risk associated with inhaling smoke from tobacco products.
When it comes to lung cancer, more long-term research is needed, but what we do know is that it is a dose response, meaning that those who smoke two packs a day are at higher risk than those who smoke one pack a day, and the risk increases when smoking over a 40-year period as opposed to 20 years.
Diversity of products and affordability.
The company offers a range of products that appeal to diverse customer segments. One of the main obstacles to switching to smokeless alternatives has traditionally been affordability.
Last week, PMI announced the launch of their latest heated, non-burning tobacco heating system, BONDS by IQOS, designed specifically to work with their special tobacco sticks, BLENDS.
BONDS will serve as the economic version of the company's flagship product IQOS. The company aims to address consumer purchasing obstacles in this niche market, most notably the upfront equipment cost and genuine tobacco flavor satisfaction.
IQOS is currently available for purchase in approximately 70 countries/regions around the world.
Although heating tobacco is one potential avenue for developing alternative means of smoking, another method involves producing an aerosol by heating an electronic liquid formulation.
The company has also conducted extensive research in the field of electronic vapor, which involves devices powered by batteries, commonly referred to as e-cigarettes or vapes, that vaporize liquid solutions containing nicotine and flavorings.
PMI has launched its electronic cigarette, IQOS VEEV, in specific markets.
The company also produces nicotine pouches that do not contain tobacco. These pouches are primarily made up of nicotine and flavorings wrapped in a cellulose bag, and are placed between the gum and cheek or upper lip.
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