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?
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 t
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
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