The tobacco industry is undergoing its biggest revolution in a century, says Managing Director of Philip Morris Ukraine
According to him, “People are switching from cigarettes to alternative products.”
The global tobacco industry is undergoing a major transformation driven by technological innovation and changes in consumer habits.
This was stated by Maksym Barabash, Managing Director of Philip Morris Ukraine, during a panel discussion at the Kyiv International Economic Forum.
“What is happening globally in this new industry is probably the biggest revolution in the sphere in the last 100 years,” the speaker said.
According to him, scientific research and technology today allow the creation of alternative nicotine products that are in demand among consumers and are gradually replacing traditional cigarettes.
“Today, scientific research and technology allow us to create products that consumers are interested in, and people are switching from cigarettes to alternative products,” he explained.
These include categories such as heated tobacco products, vapes, and nicotine pouches. They are forming a new market segment that is changing perceptions of the tobacco industry.
"In other words, the tobacco industry today is not what it was 50 years ago. Fifty years ago, it was clear that it was cigarettes. Today, this industry is developing quite rapidly, and people are choosing these alternative products because they are better than cigarettes for a variety of reasons," added Barabash.
Despite this, regulators in many countries are struggling to keep up with technological changes, trying to constrain the development of new categories instead of creating effective standards.
“The main problem is that in many countries, regulators and the state are not keeping up with these trends, and what they are trying to do is actually stop and block this process, this revolution that is taking place,” the speaker emphasized.
The expert stressed that the need for a renewed dialogue between the state, science, and business is becoming critically important, as issues related to health and nicotine consumption must be addressed, taking into account modern scientific approaches.
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