Philip Morris 'sees a future where it will no longer be selling cigarettes'

Philip Morris International, the world’s largest international tobacco company, has said it could eventually stub out cigarette sales as it launched an alternative product in the UK yesterday.

Underlining the regulatory pressures facing the tobacco industry, a British court also yesterday rejected an appeal against new rules prohibiting the use of marketing such as logos or colours on cigarette packs.

The British government’s victory could spur other countries to follow suit, highlighting the need for tobacco companies to develop alternatives to cigarettes to respond to health concerns that are leading more people to quit the habit.