Neuchatel, Switzerland — When Hans-Jörg Urban joined Philip Morris International’s research headquarters as a scientist in 2005, he said a senior executive laid out the tobacco giant’s vision for the future: to create cigarettes no more harmful than a simple cup of coffee. About a decade later, that quest culminated in the IQOS, a device that heats tobacco but does not burn it. Philip Morris says the lack of combustion means smokers are exposed to far lower levels of toxic emissions than with regular cigarettes. "The ultimate result of this is reduced tobacco related harm and diseases," the company said in a statement. The world’s largest publicly traded tobacco company by market value has applied to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market IQOS as less harmful than cigarettes. But four scientists and researchers who worked for the company on the IQOS programme told Reuters that while Philip Morris was able to prove the lower amounts of exposure to harmful substances, thi...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.