Philip Morris invests in Italy, and does so to produce tobacco with reduced risk for the smoker's health. In fact, 500 million euros will be invested, according to what was communicated today by the US cigarette giant, in the Bologna plant, the first in Europe to manufacture products that will potentially reduce exposure to the toxic substances of tobacco and offer reasonable possibilities of reducing the risk of diseases associated with smoking.
Once up and running, the Emilian factory will have in Philip Morris's plans an annual production capacity that should reach 30 billion units by 2016. “The development and commercialization of reduced-risk products – said André Calantzopoulos, CEO of Philip Morris Italia – represent a significant step towards achieving the public health objective of harm reduction: a potential change for industry and a significant growth opportunity for Philip Morris in the year. This first investment in a European factory is a milestone in our roadmap towards producing products aimed at protecting the health of smokers”.
