U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Holiday-Thinned Trading Persists 
Taiwan Stock Market Ends Higher as Semiconductor and Energy Shares Lead Gains 
Gold Price Breaks $4,500 as Safe-Haven Demand and Rate Cut Bets Fuel Rally 
FDA Approves Mitapivat for Anemia in Thalassemia Patients 
Nvidia to Acquire Groq in $20 Billion Deal to Boost AI Chip Dominance 
Texas App Store Age Verification Law Blocked by Federal Judge in First Amendment Ruling 
John Carreyrou Sues Major AI Firms Over Alleged Copyrighted Book Use in AI Training 
Uber and Baidu Partner to Test Robotaxis in the UK, Marking a New Milestone for Autonomous Ride-Hailing 
Oil Prices Ease in Asia as Geopolitical Risks Clash With Weak Demand Outlook 
AstraZeneca’s LATIFY Phase III Trial of Ceralasertib Misses Primary Endpoint in Lung Cancer Study 
Asian Markets Rise as AI Rally Caps 2025, Gold and Silver Hit Record Highs 
Nike Stock Jumps After Apple CEO Tim Cook Buys $2.9M Worth of Shares 
FTC Praises Instacart for Ending AI Pricing Tests After $60M Settlement 
Warner Bros Discovery Weighs Amended Paramount Skydance Bid as Netflix Takeover Battle Intensifies 
BOJ Minutes Reveal Growing Debate Over Interest Rate Hikes and Inflation Risks 
BP Nears $10 Billion Castrol Stake Sale to Stonepeak 
Niigata Set to Approve Restart of Japan’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant in Major Energy Shift 
Philip Morris will not be selling its world-famous Marlboro cigarette products any longer in 10 years’ time. The cigarette maker said it would stop the sales in the United Kingdom, and it will be replaced by the company’s new smoke-free products.
Small steps to stop smoking in the U.K.
Fox Business reported that Philip Morris International (PMI) made the announcement about its intention to pull out Marlboro in the U.K. as part of its goal to have a cigarette-less world. The company clearly knows that cigarette smoking should stop now, so it will instead introduce new products to keep the business going.
"PMI can see a world without cigarettes," PMI’s chief of global scientific communications, Dr. Moira Gilchrist, told Fox Business. "The sooner it happens, the better it is for everyone."
She further said that only quitting is the best option, but for people who really can’t give it up, science and technology will allow Philip Morris and other tobacco companies to make and introduce better alternatives so they can continue smoking.
"Encouraging people who don’t quit to switch to these better alternatives, together with strong regulation will help solve the problem of cigarette smoking once and for all," she added.
In any case, this is a timely plan for Philip Morris as Britain already set a target of making the region "smoke-free" by 2030. This is also part of the reason why PMI is making a commitment to produce alternatives and help the territory meet the deadline.
End of the Marlboro era
With Philip Morris’ announcement, it is possible that Marlboro may no longer exist in the future. The company is ending its flagship brand’s sales in the U.K., and other countries may soon follow.
This is good news as campaign groups have long been advocating to stop smoking altogether, and this should begin with the companies that make them. Aside from the fact that smoking is a health hazard, it is also harming the environment with the smoke it produces.
As per CNBC, the World Health Organization said smoking is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, and the United Nations’ health unit reported 8 million deaths a year. Thus, it is clear that smoking should stop altogether.
