July 26, 2021 2 min read

Tobacco giant Philip Morris International announced that they will stop selling cigars in Britain in the coming years. This means that the Marlboro brand will disappear from the shelves after a century in stores across the country.

Philip Morris International’s plan is part of efforts to phase out smoking in the UK . The company also pledged to encourage those who wish to continue smoking to switch to alternatives such as e-cigarettes or heated tobacco devices , which are considered more modern and less harmful.

“I want to allow this company to leave cigarettes behind ,” Jacek Olczak, chief executive of Philip Morris, told Britain’s The Daily Mail . “I think in the UK, in ten years at the most, the problem of smoking can be completely solved ,” he added.

Asked if that meant Philip Morris would stop selling traditional cigars in the UK, Olczak replied: “Absolutely .” And he stressed that the Marlboro brand will leave the country.

We’re delivering a #smokefree future and, as we do, we’re continuing to earn the trust and active cooperation of stakeholders across society, building a relationship grounded in facts and science.

Find out more here https://t.co/J7TTKaNT7n pic.twitter.com/lbkJGxlL1x

– Philip Morris International (@InsidePMI)July 1, 2021

“(Marlboro) will disappear. The first option for consumers is to quit smoking. But if they don’t, the second best option is to let them switch to better alternatives, “ said the Philip Morris manager, referring to the fact that smokers will be encouraged to switch to electronic cigarettes or other tobacco devices.

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph , Olczak expressed his concern for the environment by comparing cigarettes to gasoline cars.

Read also: This is the reason why Philip Morris blocked the sale of cigars

The Government of Great Britain has a plan to become ‘smoke-free’ by 2030. This project includes reducing the prevalence of smoking to 5% in all age groups by that year, that is, to a third of current levels. Therefore, the withdrawal of the traditional Philip Morris cigars would be an extra boost.

A few months ago the company announced that it will leave cigarettes in Mexico , a market in which it has a 65% share , to promote other forms of smokeless tobacco consumption with its IQOS device. In fact, in previous statements, the company said it wanted half of its turnover to come from non-smoking products while transforming itself into a “health and wellness company” with its new mission to “quit smoking in the world” by eliminating little by little cigarettes. In addition, Philip Morris launched a £ 1bn takeover bid for Vectura, a British pharmaceutical company that makes asthma inhalers .

Philip Morris International , which spun off the Altria tobacco company and has been listed in New York since 2008, sells Marlboro cigars throughout much of the world. Its former parent still sells the brand in the United States, where it is the market leader. Its UK revenue is around 800 million pounds a year, according to documents filed by Companies House cited by iProfesional.