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The marketing of the reduced risk tobacco product without combustion, developed by the company, began in October. A few months after the visa to enter the national market for this type of “modified risk” tobacco products, Philip Morris went on the offensive.
Heated tobacco has made its effective entry into Moroccan tobacco shops since the end of October.
Recall that after launching the marketing of Iqos Heets (tobacco sticks) in the free zones of various Moroccan airports in December 2020, the firm obtained, last April, the visa to enter the national market for this type of “modified” tobacco products at risk. Indeed, the Heets have been approved by the commission in charge of the prices of tobacco products on the Moroccan market, through a decision of the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and the Reform of the Administration, published in the Official Bulletin on April 2. Today, a new phase of implementation looms for the development and marketing of heated tobacco products from Philip Morris in Morocco.
the Heets will be launched initially, in Casablanca, before being extended to the whole country. In detail, the Iqos device will be marketed in dedicated points of sale while Heets consumables will be available in tobacco shops. Note that the Iqos is the electronic device used to heat the tobacco contained in Heets.
A first in Morocco
This is the first time that a heated tobacco product will be launched on the Moroccan market. According to the multinational’s official website, Iqos represents a new technology that allows tobacco to be heated without burning it. It generates up to 95% less harmful substances than cigarette smoke. A process that eliminates combustion and therefore smoke which contains the main harmful components responsible for cancer-causing diseases linked to smoking. Considered by the multinational to be the future of the tobacco industry, this heated tobacco product has been recognized by the FDA as a “modified risk” product. This is also a segment for which substantial budgets have been mobilized by Philip Morris International (PMI) in recent years in order to develop the famous Iqos.
If its introduction is a first for the Moroccan market, Iqos is already known around the world. This reduced risk product compared to a cigarette and without combustion is already marketed by Philip Morris International in more than 67 international markets. Thus, according to the company’s public communications, nearly 14.7 million former smokers have completely quit smoking and have started using the product exclusively. Indeed, Iqos presents itself as a serious alternative to cigarettes. It heats tobacco up to 350° degrees, without burning it, against 850 to 900° degrees for a smoked cigarette, thus reducing the harmful components generated compared to cigarette smoke.
Accessible prices
In terms of accessibility and price of the product by Philip Morris Morocco, it should be noted that the price of Heets is already set, by decision published in the Official Bulletin, at 35 MAD. For Iqos, it should be noted that its price could vary from 600 to 1600 MAD, depending on the model and the technological generation to which it belongs. This is part of a global group policy whereby the prices of Heets, in all markets in the world where they are sold, are aligned with those of conventional cigarettes. The devices, on the other hand, fall into the price brackets of entry-level smartphones. The objective is to democratize access to this device to support the fight led by the global tobacco producer for a “smoke-free future”.
Ultimately, Philip Morris International plans to replace conventional cigarettes with smokeless products for the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke. With multidisciplinary product development capabilities, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific foundation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet the preferences of adult consumers and meet stringent regulatory requirements.
