150K Filipinos ditch cigarettes

The Philippines is steadily advancing toward the global goal of shifting from cigarettes to smoke-free alternatives, with nearly 150,000 users having already made the switch.

- By DEXTER BARRO II

Based on data provided by PMFTC Inc., the local affiliate of Philip Morris International (PMI), the number of adult users who have shifted to smoke-free products is now approaching 150,000.

PMFTC, which manufactures the world’s top cigarette brand, Marlboro, and bestselling local brand Fortune, said this growth hinges on the company’s commitment to accelerate the vision of a smoke-free future.

“Most of our smoke-free product users who are former adult smokers transitioned from our own cigarette brands,” it said. “This reflects our proactive efforts to guide adult smokers toward better alternatives.”