Philip Morris Australia will today call for the urgent legalisation and regulation of smoke-free products as part of its appearance before a Western Australian parliamentary committee.
The WA Select Committee on Personal Choice and Community Safety, chaired by the Hon. Aaron Stonehouse MLC, will hear from Philip Morris Australia's Managing Director, Tammy Chan, and Philip Morris International's Senior Medical Advisor, Dr Michael Franzon.
Ahead of her appearance before the Committee, Ms Chan said: "We welcome the opportunity to present the overwhelming body of scientific evidence that clearly shows smoke-free products, such as e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn products, are a much better choice for adult smokers than continuing to smoke cigarettes."
"From the UK to the US, New Zealand to Japan, governments are encouraging smokers to switch from cigarettes to smoke-free products, which is proving to be the most effective way to reduce smoking rates," Ms Chan said.
"However, Australian smokers are being left behind as others around the world move to becoming smoke-free societies. In Japan, for example, where heat-not-burn products are available to adult smokers, cigarette sales are declining at unprecedented rates as more and more smokers switch to these better alternatives. It's time Australia catches up with the rest of the world and legalises and regulates smoke-free products," Ms Chan said.
PMI's Senior Medical Advisor, Dr Franzon, said: "I have worked for close to 30 years on attempting to make a difference to one of the world's most intractable health problems: smoking. In 2015, I joined PMI because I truly believe that only through changing what is offered to adult smokers can solutions to smoking truly be found."
"At PMI, we see a future without cigarettes, where adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke are given access to smoke-free products that expose smokers to up to 90 per cent fewer harmful chemicals than ordinary cigarettes," Dr Franzon said.
"Societies and governments have been calling out for meaningful ways to reduce smoking rates for years. In Australia, the smoking rate has effectively remained unchanged since 2014. Smoke-free products are a complementary addition to existing tobacco control strategies and have proven to be effective in reducing smoking rates in other countries," Dr Franzon said.
"As a company, we are ready to do our part. But we can't achieve a smoke-free world alone. Smokers are looking for less harmful alternatives, and governments, regulators and health bodies have a vital role to play to help facilitate just that," Dr Franzon said.
