Mexico: Marlboro to Halt Cigar Sales to Instead Promote Safer Alternatives

Source from:  Vapingpost 01/11/2021

“We want to have a positive impact on the 15 million smokers in the country. For this reason, we have decided to open the way to science and innovation through revolutionary products such as IQOS, and to achieve a smoke-free future in the country as part of our goals for 2030,” said Andrzej Dabrowski, CEO of Philip Morris Mexico, in a statement.

“Currently, 80 thousand people in Mexico are interested in new consumption alternatives, particularly in IQOS. For this reason, Philip Morris continues with its Choose the Change initiative, aimed at encouraging and providing information related to this new smoke and ash-free portfolio,” he added.

PMI believes that about 26,000 Mexicans already use their IQOS device. However, Mexican authorities insist that electronic devices may be as harmful and addictive as regular cigarettes. To this effect, they have banned the importation of such products.

In some markets cigarettes may become obsolete within 10 years

Meanwhile, Philip Morris International CEO Andre Calantzopoulos, keeps pointing out that as smokers become more and more health conscious and start switching to safer alternatives, cigarette sales in some markets may become obsolete within 10 to 15 years.

“I am convinced it is possible to completely end cigarette sales in many countries within 10 to 15 years,” he said in a sustainability report published last July. However, he had added, the help of regulators is needed in order for this to become a reality.