Majority of People Want Governments to Do More to Reduce Smoking Rates, According to a New Global Survey From PMI

Company releases “Unsmoke Your Mind” white paper answering challenging questions about its vision of a smoke-free future

DAVOS, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As it continues to advocate for greater transparency, objective examination of the science and open debate in creating the right regulation for smoke-free alternatives, Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE:PM) today released a new white paper titled, “Unsmoke Your Mind: Pragmatic Answers to Tough Questions for a Smoke-Free Future” at a press conference in Davos. Based on an independent survey—commissioned by PMI and conducted by Povaddo among 17,251 adults aged 21-74 across 14 countries—the paper examines public opinions of the regulatory, scientific and corporate landscape as PMI focuses on advancing smoke-free products to replace cigarettes as soon as possible.

The white paper shows a keen public appetite for open science and facts-driven policies regarding smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes. Nearly 9 in 10 respondents (87 percent) agreed that “when developing regulations, governments, regulators and public health bodies should consider the current science relating to e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn tobacco products.” Further underscoring support for scientific substantiation in this category is the fact that 89 percent of respondents agreed that “before introducing e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn tobacco products to consumers, manufacturers must conduct robust scientific assessments on their products.”

“Smoke-free alternatives offer a commonsense approach to public health,” said Jacek Olczak, chief operating officer at PMI. “In a time when trust in governments and organizations is at an all-time low, it is essential to base decision-making on science and facts. For PMI, this research reinforces the importance of transparency in sharing the science behind our smoke-free products, making it open for all, be that governments, regulators, scientists, academics or the general public.”

While it is best to quit tobacco and nicotine altogether or never to start using them, the reality is that there are millions of adult smokers who would otherwise continue smoking in the absence of a better alternative. Science and technology have now created these better alternatives, and these men and women should have access to them. Denying them access to these science-based better products means they will continue to smoke.

As smoke-free alternatives are increasingly in the headlines, the Unsmoke Your Mind white paper explores challenging questions the public has about the role of these products today, specifically addressing the following:

• We & Me: Do societies at large really care about smokers?
• Science Illuminates, Science Blinds: Do consumers take scientific evidence seriously or do they disregard “science” as just another marketing trick?
• The Age of Mistrust: How does (mis)trust affect attitudes toward smoke-free alternatives?
• The Promise and the Threat of What’s New: How can we be confident innovations will be better than what they replace?
• Big Isn’t Always Bad: Are there any serious alternatives to “big” in a world of 7.8 billion people?

To read the “Unsmoke Your Mind: Pragmatic Answers to Tough Questions for a Smoke-Free World” paper, visit www.pmi.com/UYMwhitepaper.

Survey Methodology
PMI commissioned Povaddo LLC to conduct an online survey among 17,251 men and women aged 21-74 in 14 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The survey was fielded from December 4-19, 2019 in respondents’ native languages. The study carries an overall margin of error of +/- 0.75% at the 95% confidence interval.

Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future
Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company and its shareholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products and associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the United States. PMI ships a version of its smoke-free devices and consumables authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to Altria Group, Inc. for sale in the United States under license. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.