QMI Agency
Canadian tobacco manufacturer Rothmans, Benson & Hedges says it is determined to stop selling cigarettes to "help make Canada smoke-free by 2035".
The company, headquartered in Toronto, employs nearly 800 people in its various offices across the country and its Quebec City plant. In particular, it produces the Benson & Hedges, Craven A, Rothmans and Mark Ten brands.
Its decision to withdraw from the cigarette market was presented to Health Canada as part of a government consultation on tobacco warning labels that wrapped up on Friday.
Rothmans, Benson & Hedges, who characterizes its approach as bold, embraces the strategy of its parent company Philip Morris International (PMI), based in New York, which has positioned itself as a leader in a transformation in the industry tobacco to create a smoke-free future.
Unburned products
The goal is to replace burned products, such as cigarettes, with unburned products such as heated tobacco that the company considers less harmful to health.
"The world is in transition," said Jeff Gaulin, director, external affairs, Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc., in an interview with TVA Nouvelles. There are other products today. I am thinking specifically of vaping products or electronically heated tobacco, which are less harmful than cigarettes. "According to Gaulin, warning labels should make it clear that not all products carry the same risks.
"The smoke of a cigarette contains nicotine, a natural constituent of tobacco, and many harmful chemicals," reads Philip Morris International's website. These toxins - not nicotine - are the main cause of smoking-related diseases. We are developing alternative products to cigarettes, which contain nicotine and offer a satisfying taste to existing smokers, but without the smoke. "
As of September 30, PMI estimated that approximately 5.9 million adult smokers worldwide had quit smoking to adopt their heated tobacco products.
"We are committed to a smoke-free future for Canadians. Our goal is to stop selling cigarettes, "Rothmans, Benson & Hedges CEO Peter Luongo said Friday in a statement outlining the company's vision for warning labels.
According to him, "warning labels should clearly indicate that products do not all have the same risks".
"Ottawa can eliminate the presence of cigarettes in Canada more quickly by giving Canadians more specific information about forbearance or discontinuation of tobacco products, or the use of less harmful products," added Mr. Luongo.