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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, 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.