International tobacco company Phillip Morris has made waves through the public with ads taken out in UK newspapers noting its new year resolution and “ambition…to stop selling cigarettes in the UK”.
“It won’t be easy. But we are determined to turn our vision into a reality,” the ad said.
“There are 7.5 million adults in the UK who smoke. The best action they can take is to quit smoking. Many will succeed.
“But many will continue to smoke. That’s why we want to replace cigarettes with products … which are a better choice for the millions of men and women in the UK who would otherwise not stop smoking.”
Noting that no other company had ever made such a statement before, the ad was sure to let readers know that they meant what they said.
Part of the plan to see people quit smoking is to launch a website to provide smokers with information on quitting.
The plan also includes information on cigarette packets about quitting and alternatives to smoking.
In October 2017, Phillip Morris committed to a “smoke-free” Australia in a bid to eventually stop producing cigarettes.
Phillip Morris Australia said: “This UK initiative demonstrates the global commitment of our company to have cigarettes replaced by smoke-free alternatives as quickly as possible.”
“We believe that Philip Morris International has an important role to play in developing science-based smoke-free alternatives that will offer a better choice for people who continue to smoke. Close to 4 million smokers worldwide have already quit smoking by switching to IQOS.”
In the UK, the company sells several alternatives to cigarettes and claims that they are 95% less harmful than cigarettes.