A high-ranking official of Philip Morris International (PMI) said around 43 million of their customers are now using smoke-free alternatives after they invested in snus and nicotine pouches.

“PMI has poured more than $16 billion into smoke-free innovation since 2008 — creating IQOS heated tobacco products, ZYN nicotine pouches, and VEEV vaping devices. Today, over 43 million adults worldwide use these products, and nearly 70 percent have left cigarettes behind for good,” said Tommaso Di Giovanni, PMI vice president for Communications and Engagement during the “Technovation: Smoke-Free by Philip Morris International (PMI)” held at Stockholm, Sweden, recently.

“In 2026, we’re in 106 markets and there are 43 million people who use our smoke-free products. 70 percent of them have abandoned cigarettes. About 43 percent of our net revenues are from these products,” Di Giovanni added.

He said PMI remains committed to transforming into a smoke-free company.

“Cigarettes are being left behind in our company — and we’re happy about it. But the truth is, more than a billion people still smoke around the world. So, there’s a lot of work to be done by us, by governments, and by society at large,” he added.

At the said summit, it was discussed how Sweden made a sharp decline in cigarette use, where scientists, policymakers, and media examined how science and innovation can accelerate the shift away from cigarettes.

It was also revealed that Sweden’s remarkable achievement of cutting smoking rates to just 5.4 percent — versus the European Union’s 23 percent — was achieved by embracing smoke-free options.

At the said summit, discussions emphasized innovation’s role in tackling smoking-related harm, pointing to the “Swedish model” as proof that progress succeeds when it matches consumer behavior and preferences.