Controversy Surrounding Philip Morris International's Reintroduction of IQOS

According to a report from Naver News on July 16, the world's largest tobacco company, Philip Morris International, plans to reintroduce its HNB product "IQOS" in the United States. This has sparked widespread concern from American health organizations, who are seriously worried about the potential harm of e-cigarettes and are urging regulatory agencies to proceed with caution in approving these products.

Six health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Lung Association, and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, have sent a letter of protest to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expressing concerns about the re-entry of IQOS e-cigarettes to the market. These organizations point out that despite claims from Philip Morris International that IQOS helps with smoking cessation, existing evidence shows that the product is not as effective in helping people quit smoking as advertised.

The protest letter mentioned that Philip Morris International has repeatedly made potentially misleading statements that led the public to believe that the FDA had confirmed that IQOS can reduce the risk of illness. Additionally, the letter pointed out that the implication that IQOS is less harmful than traditional cigarettes violates FDA regulations. Furthermore, the health organizations stated that Philip Morris International's claims that IQOS can prompt a large number of traditional smokers to switch to e-cigarettes lack factual basis. They cited research data from the International Tobacco Control Project (ITC) at the University of Waterloo in Canada, showing that the smoking cessation rates for IQOS users in South Korea and Japan are 30% and 15%, respectively, far below the 70% claimed by Philip Morris International.

In response, Philip Morris International stated that the company always abides by relevant laws and regulations when discussing science and products, and insists that their statements comply with FDA regulations. The FDA had approved the sale of the older version of IQOS by Philip Morris International in 2019, but later issued a "risk modification" order requiring the company to improve the product to reduce emissions of harmful chemicals. Last year, Philip Morris International applied to introduce the latest modified version of IQOS, but the FDA has not yet made a decision on whether to approve its market release.