Philip Morris CEO Reiterates Cigarettes Could Disappear Within 15 Years
PMI CEO André Calantzopoulos reiterated at the 2020 Concordia Annual Summit last October that, with the right regulatory incentives and community support, cigarette sales are expected to stop within 10 to 15 years. Calantzopoulos described the four bigges
PMI CEO André Calantzopoulos reiterated at the 2020 Concordia Annual Summit last October that with "appropriate regulatory encouragement" and community support, cigarette sales are expected to cease within 10 to 15 years.
Calantzopoulos described the four biggest obstacles to change as "uncertainty, polarization, bipartisan ideology, and ideology" and noted that these obstacles have been exacerbated by the tensions brought about by the current pandemic.
"As the largest multinational tobacco company transforms towards a smoke-free future, I have firsthand experience of how harmful polarization affects real progress (in this case, progress in eliminating smoking). Let me remind you, this involves over a billion men and women who smoke worldwide," the CEO said.
"Political agendas and ideologies are slowing progress,"
Calantzopoulos acknowledged that the best choice is never to smoke, but he said the benefits of using safer alternatives in the fight against smoking have been overlooked. "A future without cigarettes is achievable. In fact, with the right regulatory encouragement and support from civil society, we believe that in many countries, cigarette sales could end in 10 to 15 years. Yes, that's right: many countries could end cigarette sales in 10 to 15 years."
"Unfortunately, political agendas and ideologies are slowing progress and leaving millions uninformed. He did not engage in evidence-based discussions on how best to manage these innovative products to help adult smokers quit cigarettes, but often faced ideological resistance from some public health organizations and NGOs."
Calantzopoulos also made similar calls in the sustainability report released last July. He has long emphasized that the company's goal is to achieve a "smoke-free future" and is now beginning to provide a specific timeline. The company has nearly one-fifth of its revenue coming from non-combustible products, such as heated tobacco devices like IQOS.
IQOS Market Expansion
Meanwhile, earlier this year, PMI announced a 44.2% increase in IQOS shipments, reaching 59.7 billion units, with a 40.7% increase in the last quarter of 2019, reaching 17.1 billion. Excluding the United States, the tobacco giant's market share has grown. IQOS's market share decreased by 1.4 percentage points to 5%. As of the end of 2019, there were an estimated 13.6 million IQOS users, of which 9.7 million were former smokers who switched to safer alternatives.
Calantzopoulos described the four biggest obstacles to change as "uncertainty, polarization, bipartisan ideology, and ideology" and noted that these obstacles have been exacerbated by the tensions brought about by the current pandemic.
"As the largest multinational tobacco company transforms towards a smoke-free future, I have firsthand experience of how harmful polarization affects real progress (in this case, progress in eliminating smoking). Let me remind you, this involves over a billion men and women who smoke worldwide," the CEO said.
"Political agendas and ideologies are slowing progress,"
Calantzopoulos acknowledged that the best choice is never to smoke, but he said the benefits of using safer alternatives in the fight against smoking have been overlooked. "A future without cigarettes is achievable. In fact, with the right regulatory encouragement and support from civil society, we believe that in many countries, cigarette sales could end in 10 to 15 years. Yes, that's right: many countries could end cigarette sales in 10 to 15 years."
"Unfortunately, political agendas and ideologies are slowing progress and leaving millions uninformed. He did not engage in evidence-based discussions on how best to manage these innovative products to help adult smokers quit cigarettes, but often faced ideological resistance from some public health organizations and NGOs."
Calantzopoulos also made similar calls in the sustainability report released last July. He has long emphasized that the company's goal is to achieve a "smoke-free future" and is now beginning to provide a specific timeline. The company has nearly one-fifth of its revenue coming from non-combustible products, such as heated tobacco devices like IQOS.
IQOS Market Expansion
Meanwhile, earlier this year, PMI announced a 44.2% increase in IQOS shipments, reaching 59.7 billion units, with a 40.7% increase in the last quarter of 2019, reaching 17.1 billion. Excluding the United States, the tobacco giant's market share has grown. IQOS's market share decreased by 1.4 percentage points to 5%. As of the end of 2019, there were an estimated 13.6 million IQOS users, of which 9.7 million were former smokers who switched to safer alternatives.
