We encourage Canadians to abstain from all forms of tobacco and nicotine entirely; to quit if they do smoke; and to change if they won’t quit.
Our Multicategory Approach
Products that eliminate combustions such as heated tobacco, vaping, and oral smokeless products provide smoke-free options for those who would otherwise continue to smoke. These alternatives contain nicotine and are not risk-free, however, as they do not burn or combust, they can be an option for those who don't quit tobacco and nicotine altogether.
Offering this vast and diverse group of adult smokers a range of smoke-free alternatives across different product categories is vital, because no single solution will meet the preferences of every adult who smokes cigarettes—or cater to every price point. These products are not risk-free and provide nicotine which is addictive.
So, how do the smoke-free product categories differ?
Heated tobacco products
Read moreVaping products
Read moreOral smokeless products
Read moreFor more than a decade, our parent company, Philip Morris International (PMI) has leveraged technology and science to develop, assess, and make these alternatives to cigarettes available. Since 2008, PMI has invested over USD 12.5 billion in the development, scientific substantiation, manufacturing, commercialization, and continuous innovation of smoke-free products to help adults who would otherwise continue to smoke switch to smoke-free alternatives.
While the best choice for any smoker is to quit tobacco and nicotine altogether, our parent, PMI, continues to develop new smoke-free alternatives that provide adult smokers with options to continued smoking.
Accelerating Canada’s smoke-free journey
We understand that no one product will address all adult smokers’ individual preferences. To achieve a smoke-free future, it’s critical we make a multi-category portfolio of alternatives available to those who would otherwise continue to smoke.
Further to that, we need governments and regulators to ensure that regulations are keeping up with the pace of innovation to remove the barriers that can accelerate a decline in smoking. We know that if alternatives to smoking are made available, and enough adult smokers switch to them, we can more rapidly achieve a smoke-free future. Who wouldn’t want to help deliver positive change like that?
We are clear that the best choice any smoker can make is to quit smoking and stop using nicotine products altogether—but the reality is that many don’t.
Despite the widely known health risks of cigarette smoking, there are still estimated to be around one billion smokers today. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts this figure will remain largely unchanged come 2025. This shows that cessation strategies alone, while effective, are not sufficient.
Those adults who continue to smoke deserve a pragmatic approach and the opportunity to switch to alternatives that can enable them to move away from cigarettes for good.