According to the CEO of tobacco company Phillip Morris , they have not ruled out the possibility of a sharp decline in cigarette sales in the future.
In an interview with the BBC, CEO Andre Calantzopoulos said, “I believe there will come a time when we will have to accept alternatives to cigarettes… a time when we have to face up to the era when cigarettes are gradually fading away.”
“I hope that time will come soon,” he said.
As the world’s largest tobacco company, Phillip Morris generates most of its revenue from traditional cigarettes. While the number of smokers is falling, it is expected to reach over a billion by 2025, Calantzopoulos said.
Phillip Morris now sells smokeless tobacco in more than a dozen markets, including Japan, Switzerland and Italy. The company says its e-cigarettes heat tobacco enough to create smoke but do not burn it. Rivals Japan Tobacco International (JTP) and British American Tobacco (BAT) are also investing in research into similar products.
Phillip Morris has invested more than $2 billion in less harmful tobacco products.
According to the World Health Organization, smoking kills 6 million people worldwide each year.
“If smokers switch to e-cigarettes or other products that reduce the negative effects on their health, this could make a huge improvement in public health,” said Deborah Arnott, executive director of ASH, as quoted by Reuters.
Ms Deborah Arnott of ASH
However, such claims coming from tobacco manufacturers should be taken with a grain of salt, she cautioned.
“We need hard evidence to substantiate any claims made by the tobacco industry,” Ms Arnott said.
This article was published on Reuters by Brian Snyder and translated by The Vape Club.
