• March 29, 2024

Regulatory support needed to deliver reduced risk

The chief executive of Philip Morris International has told CNBC he wants its electronic cigarettes eventually to outsell traditional cigarettes.

Speaking on the sidelines of the European House-Ambrosetti Forum in Italy, CEO Andre Calantzopoulos told CNBC that he was very optimistic about the take-up of iQOS – a Marlboro-branded device that heats rather than burns tobacco.

“Our objective and my personal ambition is that these reduced-risk products will overtake combustible cigarettes as soon as possible,” Calantzopoulos was quoted as saying. “And that’s clearly what we’re pursuing.”

Calantzopoulos expressed the hope that alternatives to traditional cigarettes would account for at least 15 percent of the company’s portfolio within five to 10 years.

But reaching those levels would require regulatory help, Calantzopoulos said.

The full story is at: http://www.cnbc.com/2015/09/07/has-the-traditional-cigarette-burned-out.html.