Smoke-free alternatives

Our Multicategory Approach

Products that eliminate combustions such as heated tobacco, vaping, and oral smokeless products provide smoke-free options for those who would otherwise continue to smoke. These alternatives contain nicotine and are not risk-free, however, as they do not burn or combust, they can be an option for those who don't quit tobacco and nicotine altogether.

Offering this vast and diverse group of adult smokers a range of smoke-free alternatives across different product categories is vital, because no single solution will meet the preferences of every adult who smokes cigarettes—or cater to every price point. These products are not risk-free and provide nicotine which is addictive.

So, how do the smoke-free product categories differ?

Heated tobacco products

What are heated tobacco products?

Heated tobacco products are electronic smoke-free devices that eliminate combustion by heating tobacco instead of burning it.

Heated tobacco products don’t create fire, ash, or smoke, but still deliver nicotine.
Heated tobacco products are fundamentally different from cigarettes because they eliminate the smoke.

Vaping products

What are vaping products?

Vaping products are filled with an e-liquid containing nicotine and flavors. The battery-powered devices heat the liquid to generate an e-vapor, which the user inhales. Some resemble cigarettes, some resemble pens; while ‘vape mods’ are bigger devices with a liquid chamber.

Like other smoke-free products, vaping devices are not risk-free and contain nicotine, which is addictive.

Oral smokeless products

What are oral smokeless products?

Oral smokeless products refers to tobacco (known as snus) and tobacco-free nicotine-containing smoke-free products designed for oral use.

Snus consists of ground tobacco mixed with water, salt and flavoring agents. It can be loose or in small portion pouches. Its use does not involve burning or inhalation of an aerosol. Tobacco-free nicotine-containing pouches do not contain tobacco. Like other smoke-free products, modern oral products are note risk-free and contain nicotine, which is addictive.

For more than a decade, our parent company, Philip Morris International (PMI) has leveraged technology and science to develop, assess, and make these alternatives to cigarettes available. Since 2008, PMI has invested over USD 12.5 billion in the development, scientific substantiation, manufacturing, commercialization, and continuous innovation of smoke-free products to help adults who would otherwise continue to smoke switch to smoke-free alternatives.

While the best choice for any smoker is to quit tobacco and nicotine altogether, our parent, PMI, continues to develop new smoke-free alternatives that provide adult smokers with options to continued smoking.

Accelerating Canada’ smoke-free journey

We understand that no one product will address all adult smokers’ individual preferences. To achieve a smoke-free future, it’s critical we make a multi-category portfolio of alternatives available to those who would otherwise continue to smoke.

Further to that, we need governments and regulators to ensure that regulations are keeping up with the pace of innovation to remove the barriers that can accelerate a decline in smoking. We know that if alternatives to smoking are made available, and enough adult smokers switch to them, we can more rapidly achieve a smoke-free future. Who wouldn’t want to help deliver positive change like that?

We are clear that the best choice any smoker can make is to quit smoking and stop using nicotine products altogether—but the reality is that many don’t.
Despite the widely known health risks of cigarette smoking, there are still estimated to be around one billion smokers today. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts this figure will remain largely unchanged come 2025. This shows that cessation strategies alone, while effective, are not sufficient.
Those adults who continue to smoke deserve a pragmatic approach and the opportunity to switch to alternatives that can enable them to move away from cigarettes for good.