Andre Calantzopoulos, Philip Morris International’s ceo, expects that cigarette sales could end within 10-15 years in many nations with "right regulatory encouragement and support from civil society".
Speaking at the Concordia Annual Summit, Calantzopoulos said that "a future in which cigarettes are obsolete is within reach,” but also that “political agendas and ideology are slowing progress and keeping millions of people uninformed” as regulations on new products often face ideologically-driven resistance from public health organizations and NGOs.
According to Calantzopoulos, over 11.2 million people have already switched to PMI’s main smoke-free product, and many more have switched to other smoke-free alternatives. However, he said, a smoke-free future will necessitate adherence to science, collaboration, and a "commitment to accelerate information to the people most directly concerned."