‘Be the First’: PMI U.S. launches heated tobacco product line IQOS in South Florida

PMI U.S. has launched its heated tobacco product, IQOS, in the greater Fort Lauderdale area, the company announced Friday.

The company, perhaps better known as Philip Morris International, is running a “Be the First” pilot program, offering those in the Fort Lauderdale area early access to a new smoke-free tobacco product sold as an alternative to cigarette smoking. Under the pilot, nicotine consumers can join a waiting list to become one of the first to try the product. 

Heated tobacco products use real tobacco, but instead of lighting a cigarette with fire and burning the tobacco as it is inhaled, these products heat the tobacco, creating an aerosol mist. The products are believed to be less harmful than traditional cigarettes.

A similar pilot previously launched in Austin, Texas among 5,000 adults 21 and older. The IQOS product is now commercially available in that market. 

PMI U.S. estimates that more than 3.3 million of-age consumers regularly use nicotine, with the majority smoking traditional cigarettes.

“We believe having a portfolio of satisfying alternatives can help traditional tobacco users switch completely and walk away from cigarettes for good,” said Stacey Kennedy, PMI U.S. CEO. “The Fort Lauderdale region offers a dynamic blend of culture and industry, and we’re thrilled to introduce IQOS to this community.”

While heated tobacco products like IQOS are not entirely risk free, and they do contain the addictive chemical nicotine, the process of heat-not-burn reduces the production of harmful chemicals compared to those inhaled from smoking cigarettes.

IQOS, unlike other heated tobacco products, is authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a modified risk tobacco product, meaning the FDA has found it suitable for the promotion of public health. 

To be added to the waiting list for IQOS, adults 21 and older must join the IQOS Circle. It’s age restricted and open only to those who currently smoke or use another nicotine product.

As part of its Fort Lauderdale launch, PMI U.S. will be on-hand at the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix over the weekend where it will offer information about the IQOS products in the IQOS lounge. The company will also host additional launch events in the area. 

IQOS has limited availability in the U.S. but is available in about 70 countries worldwide. It first launched in Japan a decade ago. PMI U.S. estimates the product has helped 23 million adults across the globe make the switch away from cigarettes. 

The launch comes as lawmakers in Tallahassee recently grappled with legislation that would have differentiated heated tobacco products from cigarettes and instead included them in the definition of “tobacco products.” It would have set up a more favorable taxing structure for the products in an effort to curb regular smoking. 

But the measures (HB 785 and SB 1418) stalled this Legislative Session, which likely ends Friday.

Consumers in the U.S. cannot enter the IQOS website without going through an age verification process, to ensure no person under the age of 21 can access its age-restricted products.