Prohibition at any cost?

“You should develop a safer product.” For decades, that is what governments and the public health community have told the tobacco industry. PMI has invested billions of dollars in science and technology to achieve that precise objective. 

Campaigns, some funded by American special interest groups, are dedicated to just one mission. Under the guise of promoting public health, they are robbing adults who smoke of their right to choose scientifically substantiated better alternatives to continued smoking. 

We have a question for them: Why are they using an elaborate network of organizations to deceive adults who smoke, elected officials, and the public health community? We can only conclude that they are pursuing a prohibition-only crusade that could have disastrous consequences for public health. We urge these groups to: STOP ignoring the rights of hundreds of millions of adults who will continue to smoke without access to better alternatives; STOP ignoring the science and evidence that doesn’t fit with their dogma; and START having a real conversation.  

Some of these misguided campaigns have provided grants to media for journalism that many people believe is independent. Ultimately, this undermines the goal of tobacco harm reduction and confuses adults who smoke about better choices. And ironically, these campaigns attack a company that has publicly committed to eliminate cigarettes.

If people who smoke are denied accurate information—or worse yet, are deceived—about less-harmful alternatives, the vast majority will simply continue to smoke cigarettes.

To set the record straight, we have addressed all of the allegations made against us by these global campaigns. We invite everyone to learn the facts, study our science and arrive at their own conclusions. We have nothing to hide.

Investing in a smoke-free future

We are moving as fast as we can—but, more importantly, adults who smoke are voting with their feet and switching in their millions.

We have been clear about our objective to end cigarette sales. This is the future of our company; for PMI, there is no turning back. We have the determination to make it work.

The proof is in the numbers. As of September 30, 2024 :

• We have invested over USD 12.5 billion since 2008 to develop, scientifically substantiate, and commercialized smoke-free alternatives.
• Our smoke-free products made up 38 percent of our total net revenues—up from 0.7 percent in 2015—and they are available in 92 markets.
• As estimated 36.5 million million adults are using our smoke-free products.

These facts are the real story. 

The question for our critics is simple: Do they want to make it more difficult for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke to choose better products—or do they want to accelerate the transition away from cigarettes by embracing the potential of tobacco harm reduction, which can complement traditional tobacco control measures?