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Tobacco firm Philip Morris calls for ban on cigarettes within decade:
The chief executive of tobacco business Philip Morris International has called on the UK government to ban cigarettes within a decade, in a move that would outlaw its own Marlboro brand.
Jacek Olczak said the company could “see the world without cigarettes … and actually, the sooner it happens, the better it is for everyone.” Cigarettes should be treated like petrol cars, the sale of which is due to be banned from 2030, he said.
Government action would end the confusion felt by smokers, some of whom still thought the “alternatives are worse than cigarettes”, Olczak told the Sunday Telegraph. “Give them a choice of smoke-free alternatives … with the right regulation and information it can happen 10 years from now in some countries. You can solve the problem once and forever.”
Philip Morris International (PMI) recently said it wanted half its turnover to come from non-smoking products as it morphs into a “healthcare and wellness company” with executive pay tied to its new mission to “unsmoke the world” by phasing out cigarettes.
Nonetheless the company has come under fire from anti-smoking campaigners who accused it of hypocrisy after it launched a £1bn takeover bid for Vectura, a British pharmacy company that makes asthma inhalers.
(Score: 3, Touché) by HammeredGlass on Monday July 26 2021, @07:59PM (7 children)
The question is how do they stand to profit from the elimination of cigarettes?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Frosty Piss on Monday July 26 2021, @08:08PM (4 children)
They stand to profit by staying in the “nicotine delivery system” business. They understand that butts are going the way of the buggy whip, and many governments will be outlawing smokes anyway. But “nicotine delivery systems” are not going anywhere.
(Score: 4, Funny) by krishnoid on Monday July 26 2021, @08:30PM
"Nicotine delivery systems" may in fact produce clinically relevant results when co-introduced with butts [nih.gov].
(Score: 2) by Revek on Monday July 26 2021, @09:34PM
Came here to say this. They are just going to change their drug business.
This page was generated by a Swarm of Roaming Elephants
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by c0lo on Tuesday July 27 2021, @01:17AM
Why stop at nicotine?
There, TFS says it looks into delivery system for anything habitual
Bottom line: anything that will keep the users hooked on the products. You can expect cannabinoid delivery systems too, they'd be stupid not to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 28 2021, @03:15AM
So only the Amish will be smokers?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by PinkyGigglebrain on Tuesday July 27 2021, @12:28AM (1 child)
Synthetic nicotine or nicotine extracted from other non-tobacco sources is probably cheaper than Tobacco based. So the "smokeless" products like vaps have a better profit margin.
I can't help but notice that PM is not calling for getting people off nicotine, just advocating the phase out of a product that has a very bad reputation attached.
I fully expect PM is already positioning itself to reap even greater profit when the current batch of nicotine addicts who use tobacco as their drug delivery method of choice are forced to switch to vapers. Probably along the lines of a line of officially branded "Marlboro" vapers and related items.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 28 2021, @05:43AM
That's usually how that works, or they'll spend tons creating loopholes or slowing the process.