Philip Morris International celebrates 10 years on the journey towards a smoke-free future

Philip Morris International (PMI) is celebrating 10 years since the launch of IQOS, the device that heats tobacco without burning it, thus beginning its journey towards a smoke-free future. The company has made significant progress and remains committed to its vision of replacing cigarettes with scientifically substantiated smoke-free alternatives.

Philip Morris International is the first company in the tobacco industry to leverage science and meet the needs of adult smokers with a new category of products that heat tobacco instead of burning it. IQOS was the first product in this category and was launched in 2014 in Japan. Today, PMI’s smoke-free alternative products are available in over 80 markets, with IQOS leading the heated tobacco segment with over 28 million users worldwide.

“This anniversary gives us the opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to building a smoke-free future based on alternatives that eliminate combustion and are scientifically substantiated. We dedicate this moment to the IQOS user community, who prove to us that cigarettes can indeed become history one day. Romania was the fourth market where IQOS was launched, and today, over half a million adult Romanian smokers have chosen our smoke-free device. In Romania, we have recently launched the latest product in our portfolio, IQOS ILUMA, and revolutionized the category again by introducing induction heating technology. We offer our users an experience without tobacco residue and without the need for device cleaning. We continue to innovate, rely on science, and offer our consumers products that meet their needs and represent a better alternative to continuing smoking,” said Mircea Scăunașu, Managing Director of Philip Morris Romania.

In the last ten years, PMI’s portfolio of smoke-free alternatives has had a positive impact on millions of adult smokers, those around them, and has accelerated the process of quitting cigarettes. Today, the net revenues from smoke-free products have surpassed those from Marlboro. In 25 markets, including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Poland, and Romania, PMI’s revenues from smoke-free products exceed 50% of total net revenues.

“Philip Morris International has heavily invested in research and innovation to provide adult smokers with better alternatives to continuing smoking. But for change to be effectively adopted, governments and society at large must play an active role. It is important for regulatory authorities to embrace the opportunity provided by innovation and science for the benefit of society and smokers. We at Philip Morris International are fully committed to continuing the mission of building a smoke-free world and Romania,” added Mircea Scăunașu, Managing Director of Philip Morris Romania.

The company has invested over $12.5 billion in research and development and continues its innovation efforts to expand its portfolio of scientifically substantiated alternatives for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke. Over 1,500 research and development professionals are working to expand the industry’s most advanced smoke-free alternative portfolio, in research and development units in Switzerland and Singapore.