PMI CALLS FOR STRONGER REGULATION OF SMOKE-FREE NICOTINE PRODUCTS AS YOUTH ACCESS REMAINS A CONCERN
Daniel Gyefour says consistent industry standards and responsible retail practices are critical to ensuring smoke-free nicotine products are sold exclusively to adults.
As smoke-free nicotine products gain visibility in the market, the need for consistent regulation and stronger safeguards against youth access remains a key challenge for the industry, according to Daniel Gyefour, Sub-Saharan Africa Director at Philip Morris International (PMI).
Speaking on the sidelines of Scorpion Kings, Gyefour said responsible marketing, age verification and retailer training must form part of a broader effort to ensure nicotine products are sold exclusively to adults.
He acknowledged that preventing underage access remains an industry-wide challenge, arguing that the responsibility extends beyond individual companies to retailers, regulators and other stakeholders.
“Ensuring that we are communicating and retailing to legal adults is non-negotiable for us as a business,” Gyefour said.
He added that PMI works with retail partners through contractual requirements, age-verification processes and regular training to reinforce responsible sales practices. According to Gyefour, retailer training takes place twice a year, while age-restriction notices are displayed at retail outlets.
However, he stressed that consistent standards across the industry are necessary, particularly as the market includes different categories of smoke-free products, such as heated tobacco, nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes.
“How do we ensure that everybody that has a smoke-free product, whether it’s a vape or a nicotine pouch, adheres to the same standards?” he asked.
Regulation key to responsible growth
Gyefour said the regulatory conversation should consider the entire smoke-free nicotine category rather than focus on individual manufacturers.
For PMI, this includes continued engagement with government on the need for a regulatory framework that establishes clear expectations for the marketing, sale and distribution of these products.
The challenge is particularly relevant as policymakers consider how to regulate emerging nicotine products while addressing concerns about their accessibility to young people.
Gyefour said companies had a responsibility to put appropriate controls in place, but added that industry-wide accountability was equally important.
His comments come amid wider public health concerns about nicotine use among young people and the need to prevent non-smokers, particularly minors, from taking up nicotine products.
Harm reduction is not risk-free, PMI says
Beyond regulation, Gyefour used the conversation to clarify PMI’s position on smoke-free alternatives and the distinction between reducing exposure to harmful substances and eliminating risk altogether.
He emphasised that PMI does not consider its smoke-free portfolio to be risk-free, noting that nicotine is addictive and that the products are intended for legal-age adults.
“The first prize would always be: stop smoking,” he said, acknowledging that complete cessation remains the preferred outcome for people who smoke.
For adults who would otherwise continue smoking, however, Gyefour argued that switching completely to certain smoke-free alternatives could reduce exposure to harmful chemicals associated with burning tobacco.
Combustion is a major source of harmful substances in cigarette smoke. Heated tobacco products, which heat rather than burn tobacco, operate differently from conventional cigarettes. Nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes are also distinct product categories, with different compositions and modes of use.
Gyefour cited PMI’s smoke-free portfolio as an example of the company's approach to offering alternatives to adults who smoke and would otherwise continue using cigarettes.
However, he maintained that the distinction between reduced exposure or potential risk reduction and being risk-free must remain central to public understanding of these products.
The public health implications of smoke-free alternatives vary by product, and evidence of reduced exposure to certain harmful chemicals does not automatically establish the extent of any reduction in long-term disease risk. Nicotine-containing products also carry risks, including addiction, and are not appropriate for young people or people who do not use tobacco.