The next level in heated tobacco technology to eliminate cigarette smoking will be launched “very soon” in the Philippines, PMFTC, Inc. President Denis Gorkun said.

PMFTC President Denis Gorkun

Gorkun said the enactment of the Vape Law last year is paving the way for innovative products that have been validated by a growing body of scientific evidence as far better alternative to smoking to be introduced in the country and offer smokers who do not quit options to switch away from cigarettes.

PMFTC, the local affiliate of Philip Morris International, would launch “very soon” in the Philippines the next level in tobacco innovation called IQOS ILUMA, a more consumer-friendly device that uses induction technology to heat tobacco instead of burning it, said Gorkun.

IQOS ILUMA PRIME

Gorkun also disclosed that the PMFTC would soon introduce oral nicotine pouches called ZYN, an oral nicotine delivery product that is completely smoke free. Made by Swedish Match, a company recently acquired by PMI, ZYN is the best-selling nicotine pouch in the United States today.

In 2022, PMFTC launched IQOS, the world’s number one heated tobacco. Since then, around 75,000 Filipino smokers had switched away from cigarettes.

Gorkun said PMI aims to eliminate cigarette consumption in line with its vision to deliver a smoke-free future. “We will continue to work towards our smoke-free future vision with products that are found by numerous international health authorities to be far better compared to continuing to smoke cigarettes.”

He said the “ship has sailed” on the debate about smoke-free products and cited reputable international public health agencies including the United Kingdoms’ Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England), German Cancer Research Center, Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and Japan National Institute of Health that had concluded that smoke-free alternatives produce 90-95% less toxic chemicals.

He said, “The negative health effects of cigarettes are long established. It is well known that, in the interest of one’s health, never smoking is the best choice. If someone is already smoking, the next best choice is to quit completely.”

Gorkun noted, however, the fact that around one billion people around the world still smoke despite being fully aware of the negative health consequences. He said, “As smokers are encouraged to quit, those adults who don’t quit deserve pragmatic and sensible solutions that can help them make a better choice than continuing to smoke cigarettes.”

He said the passage of the landmark Vape Law a year ago is a “win” for public health and that the “young” legislation opened the door to future science-based innovative products that are better alternatives to cigarettes.

One of the authors of the Vape Law or Republic Act 119000, former Representative Sharon Garin, who is now an undersecretary of the Department of Energy said the law received “so much admiration from other countries,” when she was invited to speak at a Global Forum on Nicotine in Warsaw, Poland earlier this year.

She said, “That’s why we are pushing for regulation because this (smoke-free products) can be a better alternative, this will lower the cost of public health spending and still generate revenues for the government.”

Garin underscored that if there was no regulation, it doesn’t mean that a product is prohibited. “It’s free-for-all and you don’t regulate, then anybody can buy it.”

“As a previous representative and author, I do believe that this law was passed at the right time with the right formula. What we want is a less harmful alternative but also at the same time we didn’t want minors to pick it up,” she noted.

She said, “We have passed a law that’s quite progressive,” noting that the Vape Law is “more forward-looking because it included the powers to regulate those who are selling online.”

Garin said R.A. 11900 provides that vaping isn’t made “cool to the kids. We don’t want non-smokers to pick up the habit of vaporized or electronic cigarettes. What we want is a less harmful alternative for current smokers.”

The former solon is hopeful that, “with the coordination between Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Health and including Department of Finance with the Bureau of Internal Revenue, I think we can hopefully see a smoke-free country or even at the minimum we have a healthier and more productive community.”