TOBACCO giant Philip Morris International is committed to a “smoke-free future” and is continuing to use technology to develop cigarette alternatives, the company has said.

Speaking ahead of No Smoking Day in the UK today, the firm has revealed it was among the top 100 patent filers in Europe last year for technology surrounding new products and says it plans to increase the alternatives to cigarettes it offers.

PMI launched its first product of this kind last year. IQOS is a small device that heats tobacco rather than burning it, providing similar levels of nicotine but with 90 per cent less of the harmful toxins found in cigarette smoke.

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The company says it has more than 1,800 granted patents and almost 4,000 pending applications for technology surrounding smoke-free devices and products.

Peter Nixon, the firm’s UK managing director, said: “We are committed to working towards a smoke-free future, which is why we are developing a portfolio of products with the potential to reduce the risk from smoking.

“Fully converting adult smokers to non-combustible products will benefit consumers and society and we can see a future where we no longer sell cigarettes.”

Since 2008, Philip Morris claims it has spent more than £2.4 billion on research into smoke-free technology.

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Michele Cattoni, the firm’s head of technology and operations for smoke-free products, said: “We are inventing new ways to deliver a satisfying experience to smokers without burning tobacco. Our patents are tangible evidence of our progress towards a smoke-free future, where cigarettes will be replaced by non-combustible products.”