Philip Morris International Inc. expects regulators to gradually become more open to alternatives to cigarettes even after more than 27 governments have prohibited next-generation smokeless devices.
"Eventually, countries will reverse gear," Chief Executive Officer Andre Calantzopoulos said in an interview in Tokyo. "I don't think it's reasonable to essentially condemn your population to only smoke cigarettes when there are vastly different alternatives."
Facing global pressure on its traditional business, the Marlboro maker is banking on a shift to non-cigarette products such as its iQOS tobacco-heating device, which gives users a nicotine buzz without combustion.