According to the CEO of tobacco company Philip 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, as governments, will have to face the reality of the era when cigarettes are gradually fading away.”
“I hope that time will come soon,” he said.
As the world’s largest tobacco company, Philip Morris generates most of its revenue from traditional cigarettes. While the number of smokers is declining, it will still be over a billion by 2025, Calantzopoulos said.
Philip 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 not burn it. Rivals JTP (Japan Tobacco International) and BAT (British American Tobacco) 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 lead to huge improvements in public health,” Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH, said, 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 warned.
“We need hard evidence to substantiate any claims made by the tobacco industry,” said Ms Arnott.
This article was published on Reuters by Brian Snyder and translated by The Vape Club.
