Philip Morris International Joins We Card Retailer Support Program

By: Philip Morris International via Business Wire

October 03, 2023 at 09:00 AM EDT

Following its acquisition of Swedish Match, Philip Morris International, for the first time in the company’s history, is marketing nicotine-containing products in the United States.

A vital part of our mission to make smoke-free products available to adult tobacco and nicotine consumers is to minimize access by those under the legal age of purchase (21). Partnering with retailers is a critical component of this effort.

The We Card Program, Inc., a national nonprofit, provides training and education resources to help retailers comply with federal and state laws to prevent the sale of age-restricted products (such as nicotine and alcohol products) to anyone under 21 years of age. We Card represents a unified effort among retailers, trade associations, wholesalers, and manufacturers.

PMI’s Swedish Match affiliate will serve on We Card’s Manufacturer Advisory Council to develop new programming focused on innovative smoke-free products, such as oral nicotine pouches.

Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) today announced that it has joined The We Card Program, Inc., a national nonprofit serving the nation’s retailers of age-restricted products. The company’s Swedish Match affiliate will serve on We Card’s Manufacturer Advisory Council.

Independent retail establishments and large retail chains utilize We Card’s educational and training services for their compliance efforts with federal, state, and local laws aimed at preventing age-restricted product sales to minors.

National and state retail trade associations, government officials, community groups, and others also support We Card’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness of responsible retailing and age verification requirements and to educate and train retail employees to identify and prevent underage attempts to purchase age-restricted products.

“As we enter the U.S. market, our ambition is twofold: to be the market leader across America for innovative smoke-free products that are a better choice than continued cigarette use and to ensure that youth cannot access these products, which are intended only for adults who smoke or use another nicotine product,” said Stacey Kennedy, President Americas & CEO PMI U.S. Business. “Joining We Card reflects the commitment shared by PMI and Swedish Match to further enhance youth access prevention programs in close cooperation with our retail partners.”

“The We Card Program has long been a vital tool for retailers, and we look forward to working with them to expand the program’s suite of tools to reflect the growing range of innovative nicotine products, including oral pouches,” Kennedy added.

“We Card is pleased to have Swedish Match join our Manufacturer Advisory Council. This will help us further our mission to prevent underage access to nicotine products and work to address the problem of the social sourcing of those products,” said Doug Anderson, President of The We Card Program, Inc.

“Since 2008, PMI has invested more than $10.5 billion to scientifically research, develop, and commercialize smoke-free products. To date, we are the only international tobacco company committed to ending cigarettes, the most harmful form of nicotine consumption, and we look forward to replicating our international success in the United States. By providing innovative nicotine products that are a better choice than cigarettes, we aim to help America’s 30 million smokers stop smoking,” said PMI’s Kennedy.

Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future

Philip Morris International (PMI) is a leading international tobacco company working to deliver a smoke-free future and evolving its portfolio for the long term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company’s current product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products. Since 2008, PMI has invested more than USD 10.5 billion to develop, scientifically substantiate, and commercialize innovative smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, with the goal of completely ending the sale of cigarettes. This includes the building of world-class scientific assessment capabilities, notably in the areas of pre-clinical systems toxicology, clinical and behavioral research, as well as post-market studies. In November 2022, PMI acquired Swedish Match—a leader in oral nicotine delivery—creating a global smoke-free champion led by the companies’ IQOS and ZYN brands. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized versions of PMI’s IQOS Platform 1 devices and consumables and Swedish Match’s General Snus as Modified Risk Tobacco Products (MRTPs). As of June 30, 2023, PMI’s smoke-free products were available for sale in 80 markets, and PMI estimates that approximately 19.4 million adults around the world had already switched to IQOS and stopped smoking. Smoke-free products accounted for approximately 35.4 percent of PMI’s total second-quarter 2023 net revenues. With a strong foundation and significant expertise in life sciences, PMI announced in February 2021 its ambition to expand into wellness and healthcare areas and, through its Vectura Fertin Pharma business, aims to enhance life through the delivery of seamless health experiences. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.