Three years after IQOS (Phillip Morris) was launched in Italy, about one-fifth of the 3,086 Italians taking part in a nationally-representative survey had heard of it. Just 1.4% saying they had tried it and 2.3% saying they intended to try it.
But those who had tried it or intended to try it were almost as likely to be nonsmokers and former smokers as active smokers.
So despite assurances from PMI officials that IQOS would only be marketed to active smokers, several members of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) expressed concerns that the device would prove attractive to non-smokers, especially non-smoking teens.
Based on this survey TPSAC recommended that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reject the company's application for "reduced risk" status.
Watch Out! Big Tobacco has not changed it's ways!
