Is the end of smoking near? Tobacco giant Philip Morris will stop selling cigarettes in NZ – in favour of new nicotine technologies

SAHAR MOURAD
14 March 2019
DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
Tobacco giant Philip Morris is going to stop selling cigarettes in New Zealand
The company will focus on healthier alternative which is the IQOS products
IQOS a device which heats up tobacco stick but doesn’t burn it, release nicotine
Working ahead of government’s plan to make country smoke-free by 2025
Tobacco giant Philip Morris will stop selling cigarettes in New Zealand in favour of new nicotine technologies.
The company is focusing its attention to IQOS products – a device which heats up a tobacco stick and releases nicotine, without burning it.
The company wants New Zealand’s government to give them tax breaks for their ‘smoke free’ nicotine devices, which they believe will encourage addicts to stop smoking, newsnow reported. New Zealand wants to be completely smoke-free by 2025.
However, the Philip Morris’ New Zealand General Manager James Williams told TVNZ 1’s Breakfast program they will be removing all cigarettes from shelves with or without the tax break.
Mr Williams said the company will focus on the IQOS products which are claimed to be a healthier alternative.
‘I think we just need to clarify that we don’t need any special treatment from the government – we’ll exit cigarette sales irrespective of what happens and we’ll comply to all the regulations that get set,’ Mr Williams told the program.
‘The regulations that are currently in New Zealand are not suited for these products, and the government’s recognised that.’
New Zealand is the first country trialing this and Australia could soon be next if the government lifts its ban on electronic cigarettes.
A report by the McKell Institute revealed that Australia is missing out on the ‘ huge public health opportunity’ to reduce the harm cigarettes by having the ban on electronic cigarettes.
Australia is one of 30 countries where electronic cigarettes are illegal.
Mr Williams said the reason they won’t be removing all cigarettes off the shelves right now is because it’s a ‘very complex issue’.
They said they want lower taxes for vaping products which could help them remove the cigarettes off the shelves quicker.
‘Everybody knows that cigarettes are addictive, so if we remove our products, effectively, consumers will move to an alternative cigarette,’ he said.
‘I think the bigger opportunity is to provide consumers a better choice of safer alternatives.