PMI Seeks Removal of Obstacles to Smoke-free Africa 

Alex Enumah in Abuja 

A leading firm in the smoke-free business, the Philip Morris International (PMI), has called for the removal of all obstacles preventing the eradication of smoking in the African continent.

The call, which was made in line with the company’s Tobacco Harm Reduction Programme, specifically seeks governments’ policies and actions that are based on current scientific findings as against traditions, emotions and skepticism.

Speaking at the 2025 Technovation Conference, which was held in Cape Town, South Africa, officials of PMI identified lack of effective government policies, skepticism, absence of communication amongst others as the bane of an Africa smoke-free future.

PMI which believes that quitting smoking is the best for any one who smokes, however, appealed to those who cannot quit smoking to embrace alternative less harmful products to cigarettes pending when they are able to finally quit smoking.

PMI’s Vice President, Communications and Engagement, Tommaso Di Giovanni in a welcome address, disclosed that the company has invested over $14 billion since 2008 and hired over 1,400 scientists and engineers to develop and substantiate smoke-free alternatives.

Giovanni, while noting that these products are available in 95 markets, with 38 million adult smokers having adopted them, and over 70 per cent abandoned cigarettes completely, lamented that skepticism on the part of government and the people has hampered the use of these less harmful products by smokers.

“Innovation has the power to tackle global challenges and, when paired with policy changes, can drive meaningful solutions to worldwide issues,” he said.

“However, scepticism towards innovation often results in missed opportunities and stalls progress,” Giovanni added.

He therefore called for a broader collaboration among key stakeholders to accelerate the shift away from cigarettes, adding that for innovation to be accelerated, “we all need to make room for it, whether we’re a company, a government, an NGO, the media.”

Similarly, PMI’s Vice President for Corporate Affairs in South & Southeast Asia, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Middle East & Africa, Andrea Gontkovicova, urged Africa to emulate the European Union (EU) and other developed countries that have effectively cut down on cigarette smoking through proper regulation and access to products.

Speaking on the theme: ‘A Tale of Two Strategies- Adoption versus Resistance to Smoke-free Innovations’, Gontkovicova observed that countries like Czech, Slovakia and Hungary, have actually cut down on cigarette smoking because of effective regulations, access and availability of alternative products.

“I think the question we need to ask ourselves is not whether and why, but how Africa should proceed further. What is the role that we want to take together so that the adult smokers who would otherwise continue smoking, are given the information, are given the choice, and are given the products which are significantly better,” she said.

Meanwhile, Head of Scientific Engagement, Sub-Saharan Africa, PMI, Dr. Binta Buhle, pointed out that Africa needs “policies that distinguish between cigarette and alternative products, favourable taxation, accurate public information and supportive regulations,” for the smoke-free products to accelerate change.

According to Buhle, studies have shown that these alternative products can significantly reduce exposure to harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke when burned, adding that the main cause of disease like cancer, heart and lung diseases is not the consumption of nicotine but the burning from cigarette smoke.