Regulation should
adapt with, and foster
innovation
Regulation must account for—and adapt to—thepace of scientific and technological progress.

Today there are around one billion smokers
in the world. The World Health Organization
predicts this number will remain roughly thesame come 2025.¹ At Philip Morris International,
we’ve spent over a decade developing smokefree products, because adults who don’t quit
tobacco and nicotine altogether deserve better
alternatives to continued smoking.
But for those adults who would otherwise
continue smoking, to switch to better
alternatives, they must first be allowed to accessinformation about them. Unfortunately, insome countries we face regulatory roadblocks:
old laws designed for cigarettes are limiting
consumer choice.
The best choice any smoker can make is to quit
cigarettes and nicotine altogether. But many willcontinue to smoke, in the absence of a better
alternative.

Inclusive dialogue andan open mind about
the role of smoke-freealternatives are needed
Preventing these men and women from learning
about, and accessing science-backed smoke-freealternatives means accepting the status quo andthe fact the vast majority of them will continue
to smoke cigarettes, the most harmful form ofnicotine consumption.
An inclusive dialogue and an open mind about
the role smoke-free alternatives can play inaddressing a major global health problem areneeded for the hundreds of millions of men andwomen who would otherwise continue smoking.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT WWW.PMI.COM
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Regulation must account for, and adapt to, the pace ofscientific and technological progress. The right mix ofpolicy measures can maximize the opportunities that
innovation offers, while at the same time minimizing
its unintended consequences.

A need for regulation

Smoke-free products as acomplement to existing tobacco
control measures

The well-known risks of smoking have led
regulators to impose restrictions and excise
taxes on cigarettes, yet they remain legallyavailable to adults around the world.
Tobacco and nicotine-containing products are
not risk-free and should be subject to strict rules
and enforcement. However, not all of theseproducts are the same, and consequently theyshould not be regulated in this same way.
The vast majority of harmful compounds foundin cigarette smoke and associated with smokingrelated diseases are generated by burning
tobacco. Smoke-free alternatives, such asheated tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and oral
smokeless products, don’t burn tobacco.
If science validates that there is a fundamental
difference between smoke-free alternatives andcigarettes, shouldn’t they be treated differently?
And shouldn’t adult smokers know about them?

Current regulations designed to prevent smoking
and encourage cessation, alongside publichealth campaigns with the same ambition, areimportant initiatives to deliver a smoke-freefuture. We support governmental efforts aroundthis. However, a third pillar is needed that will
enable better choices for those adults whowould otherwise continue smoking.
To be clear, regulations should continue todissuade people from starting to smoke andencourage cessation. But it’s equally clear themillions of adults who continue to smoke shouldhave the opportunity to switch to scientifically
substantiated alternatives. There is no substitutefor quitting altogether, but we believe we cantogether contribute to positively impacting
public health—by recognizing the potential ofsmoke-free alternatives to continued smoking.

Science-backed, smoke-free alternatives can complement
existing measures to help address the global health issue ofsmoking by providing an avenue for adults who don’t quit
tobacco and nicotine altogether to make a better choicethan continued smoking. Coupled with the right regulatory
encouragement and support from society, we can reach asmoke-free future, faster.
1. WHO, Global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-global-report-ontrends-in-prevalence-of-tobacco-use-2000-2025-third-edition

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT WWW.PMI.COM
THIS FACTSHEET IS DESIGNED FOR USE WITHSCIENTIFIC AND REGULATORY AUDIENCES ONLY.