Switch to tobacco heaters
Tobacco company confirms: Marlboro cigarettes are on the verge of extinction
It is not yet clear when exactly Marlboro cigarettes will no longer be sold
© Julian Stratenschulte
The tobacco company Philip Morris has confirmed its announcement that it will no longer rely on conventional cigarettes. This also means the end for the famous Marlboro. In the future, the group wants to focus on “low-risk products”.
This article first appeared on RTL.de
As early as the summer of 2021, the tobacco giant’s CEO, Jacek Olczak, announced: “The Marlboro brand will disappear. The first best choice for consumers is to stop smoking. If they don’t, the second best choice is to switch to better alternatives.” These are surprising words from a businessman in the tobacco industry. On Thursday in Berlin, he emphasized that the group is serious about ending the traditional cigarette. There it was about a new Iqos tobacco heater, they should be the future of the industry.
“We will exit the cigarette business and only offer reduced-risk products,” said Markus Essing, CEO of Philip Morris in Germany and Austria. When exactly? That is still unclear. “We can set an end time, but we haven’t defined one yet.” For Marlboro fans, however, that definitely means saying goodbye.
Tobacco heaters are supposed to be the future after the cigarette
Instead of the world-famous brand, supposedly less harmful tobacco heaters such as Iqos should soon bring in sales. The devices do not burn the tobacco, only heat it. According to the company, 95 percent fewer pollutants should be produced in this way. Nicotine is still included, so tobacco heaters are also addictive.
What happens if…
Stop smoking: Changes are noticeable as early as 20 minutes after the last cigarette smoke
Only 35 percent of the company’s turnover still consists of sales of tobacco heaters, in two years they should already account for half of the total turnover. According to Philip Morris, one million users are already using the cigarette of the future in this country, and around 20 million worldwide. For lovers of the good old Marlboro cigarette, the switch will still take some getting used to.