With aura readings and a Lauryn Hill concert, Philip Morris rolls out a new tobacco product in the U.S.
Philip Morris is rolling out a heated tobacco product called IQOS in the U.S., concerning researchers and anti-tobacco advocates.
Strolling past the sleek, blue-lit pop-up stores and lounges that began peppering the city of Austin, Texas, this spring, passersby might pause to wonder about what trendy new tech product goes by the name of “IQOS.” Perhaps a smartwatch or a set of noise-canceling wireless earbuds?
The chicly futuristic branding of IQOS, a heated tobacco product owned by Philip Morris International, is one of several things worrying researchers and anti-tobacco advocates. The company is rolling out pilots of the device in Austin and Fort Lauderdale, peddling IQOS (pronounced “eye-koss”) as “the next step in tobacco harm reduction.” In its marketing, the company positions the devices as a better alternative for smokers compared to cigarettes, reducing the production of harmful chemicals while containing “real tobacco,” “less lingering smell,” and no fire or ash.
But critics worry the company’s marketing tactics — from retail fronts that look like Apple Stores to “happenings” at rooftop bars with free aura readings and a recent Miami event featuring performances by musicians Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean — could entice people who don’t already smoke to pick up an addictive habit with long-term costs to their health. They also warn that, for people looking to quit cigarettes, heated tobacco products may be worse than other alternatives like e-cigarettes and smoking cessation drugs. Why, critics ask, are U.S. regulators are allowing heated tobacco products in the first place?
