EDITORS DESK
BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT
Philip Morris International (PMI), the world’s premier cigarette manufacturer, has poured in a mind-boggling $9 billion for research and development to produce smoke-free cigarette alternatives.
PMI gathered an impressive ensemble of 900 scientists, engineers, and technicians at The Cube, located along a serene backdrop of Lake Neuchatel, the largest of all the lakes in lake-abundant Switzerland, to do their job.
At the recent “Technovation: Smoke-free by PMI,” the company presented interesting facts and figures from their R&D before journalists from all over the world, including the Philippines.
The main contention of PMI scientists is that nicotine, though addictive, is not actually as harmful as it is being portrayed. The devil is the smoke.
According to PMI Vice-President Gizelle Baker, nicotine is not the primary cause of smoking-related diseases. Smoking-related ailments are caused by harmful and potentially harmful chemicals in smoke during the burning process of the tobacco. Thus, PMI eliminates the smoke, just electronic burning.
But many are skeptics, looking at the new products as another marketing gimmick to perpetuate the business.
While the trends in smoking still remained inconclusive, governments are also coming up with parameters to regulate these new products.
In the local scene, the controversial Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Act or Vape Regulation Bill has lapsed into law on July 25. The bill regulates the importation, manufacture, sale, packaging, distribution, use and communication of vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products, as well as novel tobacco products.
The bill was strongly opposed by the Department of Health and health experts, but supported by vape consumers as it would generate billions in taxes for the government.
The Department of Trade and Industry, the designated implementing agency under the law, supported the bill, stressing that regulation over the alternative tobacco products is better than its total ban.
DTI allayed apprehensions even on the most contentious age of allowing 18 year olds in the purchase, sale and use of vape products. DTI even assured the DOH of its important role in the crafting of the Implementing Rules and Regulations and control of the alternative tobacco products. DTI also defended the economic side of the measure.
But will smokers shift to the alternatives and away from the traditional cigarettes?
PMI hopes to convert 1.1 billion smokers into a healthier kind of smoking with their products. But PMI officials admit it is difficult to declare a date when the world could go smoke-free. PMI still operates a huge cigarette plant in Batangas and exports some of their produce.
What is very clear though is that Tommaso Di Giovanni, PMI vice president, said that its smoke-free products are expected to account for 50 percent of its net revenues by 2025, with around 40 million adult smokers seen to have switched to heated tobacco products by then.
From what I saw, the new PMI e-cigarette products evoke the curiosity in me, a non-smoker. For a smoker, it should be tempting. The electronic gadget is reminiscent of the tobacco pipe, only slim and chic, far from the crude pipes that my grandparents used to smoke pure tobacco leaves with gusto, no filter, no flavor, just freely emitting clouds of smoke for the sheer joy of smoking among friends or by your lonesome.
My grandparents in Bohol even used to grow tobacco plants, harvest them, and string them and hang them to dry then wrap it up with a plastic. Once in awhile, you’ve got to sprinkle it with a little water to prevent it from getting brittle. My Lola also trades some tobacco leaves, together with other herbs.
My grandmother taught me how to cut, divide a tobacco leaf and roll it into a cigar. Even brides used that cigar as giveaways to guests at the wedding.
During those times, nobody discussed about ailments that tobacco smoking could bring. It was cool and almost everyone smoked. Parents even blew tobacco smoke on the tummy of colic babies, as tobacco was then known as effective gas reliever.
Aside from my grandparents, my father, uncles, and relatives, dabbled as tobacco peddlers. They went as far as North Cotabato and Misamis Oriental, home to big tobacco leaves, to buy tobacco in “paldo” (bale). A paldo is composed of 100 “manos.” Each “mano” consists of 100 tobacco leaves. During the 1990’s, one “mano” can be bought for ₱50 and were retailed for ₱10 per three leaves.
My tobacco peddling relatives can tell a strong tobacco from their smell and texture. Smokers hate it when their tobacco has low burning capacity. I myself loved the smell of the dried tobacco leaves, especially those from a newly opened “paldo.”
Many people in my hometown lived on tobacco. It was a good business while it lasted. Today, there are no more tobacco peddlers around.
My grandmother lived to more than 100 years old. My husband’s grandmother, who used to be a tobacco peddler also, is still alive and smoking pure tobacco leaves.
Lest I be accused of promoting tobacco smoking, I would like to imitate the PMI mantra: “If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you smoke, quit. If you don’t quit, change.”