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US-based tobacco giant Philip Morris International (PMI) is aiming to stamp out smoking for good in the UK by stopping the sale of cigarettes by the end of the next decade. The firm has embraced the booming market for smoking alternatives, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, in the face of dwindling rates of smokers and mounting evidence fags can cause early death. As tobacco replacements become more widely used, PMI has pledged to stop selling all of its 130 cigarette brands in Britain by the 2030s with a view to “designing a smoke-free future”. Marlboro, the world’s best-selling international cigarette, Chesterfield and L&M are among the brands PMI said will eventually be pulled from the shelves of corner shops and supermarkets across the UK. New research suggesting parts of England could be smoke-free as early as 2024 highlights why PHI has chosen to move towards selling tobacco alternatives.

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Mark MacGregor, PMI’s director of corporate affairs for the UK and Ireland, told Daily Star Online in January this year that 2030 “feels like a realistic timeframe” for stopping selling cigarettes in the UK. He said the new research, conducted by Frontier Economics on behalf of PMI, shows that “prediction is true now more than ever”. He said: “These figures suggest some parts of the country will stop selling cigarettes altogether. “The rate of smokers is coming down quickly. “We’re planning for a future without cigarettes.”

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Bristol, whose smoking prevalence rate was 11.14% in 2017, is the first city forecast to completely eradicate the habit by 2024. Milton Keynes, Bournemouth, Buckinghamshire, Reading and Portsmouth are among the places expected to stamp out smoking by 2027, the data shows. Areas expected to still be smoking beyond 2050 include North Lincolnshire, Derby and Cheshire East, according to the study. Deprived areas have a higher prevalence rate of smokers, the research found. The three areas with the highest rates of smoking – Kingston upon Hull, Blackpool and North Lincolnshire – have an average rate of 22.1% compared to an average rate of 8.8% among the three lowest, which are Rutland, York and Wokingham. When asked how smokers might react to their favourite cigarettes disappearing from shops, Mr MacGregor extolled the benefits of tobacco alternatives.

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“I hope that cigarette smokers quit altogether,” he said. “That is the primary focus of the business – encouraging people to use alternatives. “Many people don't realise alternative products are not as bad for your health.” The research also highlights a variety of measures that could accelerate the decline in cigarette smokers. These include increasing the number of smokers using NHS Stop Smoking services and getting more switching to better alternatives like e-cigarettes and heated tobacco. The new figures are detailed on the Last Smoke website, a campaign launched by PML to encourage communities to go smoke free faster.

The Last Smoke website also includes other proposals that could accelerate the end of cigarettes in the country. These include more independent research into smoking alternatives and targeted government campaigns through school and social media to stop smoking in the first place. Mr MacGregor added: “Our business is committed to going smoke free as fast as possible and ultimately stopping selling cigarettes altogether. “What this research reveals is the huge variations in the decline in smoking in different parts of the country. “We want to play our part in working with local businesses, retailers and councils in the areas with highest smoking rates. “It is not going to be easy getting smokers in these areas to stop. “One of the keys to success will be ensuring they understand that there are more alternative options than ever that can help them give up cigarettes for good.”

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PMI claims to have spent £2.5billion on research and development into new products that have helped millions in “many countries” give up cigarettes. One such product is the iQOS device – a sleek, pen-like tobacco heating system that releases a flavorful nicotine-containing vapor. PMI claims iQOS produces up to 95% fewer potentially harmful chemicals than regular cigarettes.