Why Nigerians Should Embrace Tobacco Harm Reduction– Aguoru

Why is Philip Morris Limited fascinated about a smoke-free environment?

To begin with, its good for people to know that Phillip Morris Limited is currently one of the leading players in the tobacco industry. The Company is focus in growing a smoke-free business and this is our primary priority. We have taken the position that the world should be smoke-free going forward. If we had a choice to make, we would prefer to grow smoking products in Nigeria. At the moment there is no clear policy or standards framework for us to bring those products into Nigeria. Some of the products are currently available and we would like this to be standardised and also the information to be made available to consumers so they can make an informed decision about what products they would like to consume.

What are the smoke-free products?

Our smoke-free portfolio includes heat-not-burn, e- vapor, and oral nicotine products. These products do not involve combustion of tobacco, so they generate significantly lower levels of harmful compounds compared with cigarettes. Globally, we market a range of products under the brand name IQOS that heat tobacco but do not burn it and these have been proven by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) studies and also in other markets where the product has been commercialised as being safe for consumers to use.

What is the level of conversation with the regulatory authority on smoke-free products?

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We have an ongoing conversation with several regulatory authorities on how best to commercialise these products in Nigeria. At the moment, we are making available, clear scientific based information on the status of these products and showing the authorities that this has been done successfully in our parts of the world. Also, several conversations have been had from a broad trade policy position and some parties see merit in the conversation that we are having, while some people want them to be more convincing. Given the long legacy of mistrust that the industry has had, which is a valid position, we are going to continue to provide as much information as possible so that the discussion can continue and ultimately lead to a policy framework for registering those products in Nigeria.

Economically, how is Philip Morris contributing to the growth of the country?

We are a legal business in Nigeria. We pay taxes, support the economy of the country and provide jobs indirectly and directly. We are economic partners with the government even as we are legally bound not to pay to sponsor certain things, which is the legal framework under the tobacco industry and we are committed fully to that framework. Our contribution to the economy is well documented in terms of employment.

What are the efforts put in place to make Nigeria Smoke-Free?

We would like everybody in Nigeria to stop smoking if we could. But we cannot set targets where we do not have a clear policy or legal framework and until those milestones are crossed, it is unlikely to set that target in the country. All we can say is, as soon as the conversation is progressed and those products are available in the market, we will be able to know what is likely the success rate within the country and then we can now project how far we can be able to make our message heard.

Who are the other stakeholders in the ongoing smoke-free conversation?

We are having this conversation with other members of the industry, interested stakeholders and public health organisations. We are trying to get the best framework that will achieve the best possible outcome for public health at the same time and satisfy the needs of legal age users of tobacco products. So, the best possible framework will be determined by the general conversation we have with the authorities.

What is the level of acceptance?

If you go to the average supermarket, there is an array of products of e-cigarettes and liquids available. I think the industry will benefit from the standardisation of these products before people start doing it themselves and I think this is where there is a benefit.

How are you sensitising the public against smoking?

We are doing everything possible to enlighten the public about the danger of smoking. The best way to avoid the harm of smoking is to not start in the first place. For someone who already smokes, quitting tobacco and nicotine altogether is the best thing they can do to reduce their risk. And if an adult smoker won’t quit, then switching to a product that doesn’t burn tobacco is a better choice than continuing to smoke cigarettes. This is because most of the harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke and linked to smoking-related diseases are generated by the burning process.

While the danger of smoking is universally well known, too many smokers remain unaware that better alternatives exist, they can’t access them, or they are confused by false or misleading information that prevents them from making an informed choice. We launched three lines, which stated if you do not smoke do not start because smoking is dangerous and causes diseases. The second line says if you smoke quit because that is the best thing smoker can do.

The last line say but if you cannot quit, change it because today there are alternatives and better choices than cigarettes and since they are better than cigarettes, so it’s worth changing. Our smoke-free portfolio includes; heat-not-burn, e- vapor, and oral nicotine products. We have three smoke-free products in various stages of development. These products do not involve combustion of tobacco, so they generate significantly lower levels of harmful compounds compared with cigarettes.

In terms of technology, what should we expect?

We at PMI have been making a bold commitment to replace all cigarettes with better alternatives as we move away from cigarettes. We believe it was the right thing to do for our business and society and we have about 13 million smokers who abandoned cigarettes and embraced technology. So, change is real because we were a different company today than what we were 10 years ago. We are also actively working to expand our purpose and evolve into a broader lifestyle, consumer wellness and healthcare company, extending our value proposition and innovative capability to commercialize products that go beyond tobacco and nicotine. And we believe that with the right regulatory frameworks, dialogue and support from civil society, cigarette sales can end within 10 to 15 years in many countries.

What is the level of collaboration among stakeholders to ensure a smoke-free Nigeria?

Smoke-free information dissemination is only possible when there is a collaboration between government, Ministries, agencies, regulators and the tobacco industry. So that is the only way that we can get the right information out. We are being transparent with the government if they have any questions. If they want to come to our factory to talk to our scientists. The research and development department are open to the government and they can come with their scientists and doctors to let them look at the evidence and tell us what they see because we cannot continue to rely on misinformation and that does not favour any of us.