IQOS Still Barred in Malta as Smokeless Tobacco Ban Remains

In just two years, 7.3 million adult smokers chose to switch from combustible cigarettes to heated tobacco products. This latest FDA decision will make the device available to around 40 million adult smokers in the United States.

Philip Morris International CEO André Calantzopoulos said: “The FDA’s decision is a historic milestone. Everyone at Philip Morris International is committed to replacing cigarettes with smoke-free alternatives that incorporate advanced technology and have undergone extensive scientific validation. In addition, Philip Morris International fully supports the FDA’s strict marketing guidelines and requirements.”

In 1988, Malta imposed a comprehensive ban on smokeless tobacco, which was reaffirmed by Legal Notice 67 of 2016. Under the law, smokeless tobacco is defined as “tobacco products that do not involve a combustion process, including chewing tobacco, snuff, and oral tobacco.”

Ahead of World No Tobacco Day (May 31) in 2018, Malta’s tobacco companies lobbied the government to introduce legislation regulating heated tobacco technology, arguing that because it delivers nicotine without combustion, it could reduce smoking’s impact on public health. However, Malta’s Health Ministry did not appear to share that view.