Philip Morris accelerates smoke-free shift in Argentina

Philip Morris International is accelerating the transition of its business toward smoke-free alternatives in Argentina. The company selected the country to deepen this shift after local regulatory changes began opening up new nicotine product categories, moving away from more than a decade of prohibitions. Buenos Aires hosted Technovation, an event gathering global executives, scientists, and sector consultants.

Demian Pintos, managing director South Cluster of Philip Morris International, stated that the group has invested more than $16 billion in developing these technologies. Currently, smoke-free products generate 42% of the company's global revenue, are sold in more than 100 markets, and are used by over 43 million people. The company also allocates nearly 100% of its research and development resources to smoke-free categories.

In Argentina, the company has already launched nicotine pouches and is preparing the rollout of additional categories. Can Kuterdem, president for Latin America and Canada at Philip Morris International, noted that the country represents a turning point for the region by moving from prohibition toward a framework that enables new technologies backed by scientific evidence.

Tommaso Di Giovanni, global vice president of Communications & Engagement, reiterated that the goal is to replace all cigarettes as fast as possible. However, challenges remain around consumer information. Research presented by Simone Gianetto, research vice president at public opinion consultancy Povaddo, showed that a significant portion of the Latin American population still does not know how these categories work, and familiarity remains low even among smokers.