Tobacco giant Philip Morris International is looking to stop selling cigarettes in Britain within the next decade.
The company, which owns iconic brand Marlboro, is said to be putting a stop to cigarettes in a bid to push less harmful 'modern alternatives' such as e-cigarettes or heated tobacco devices.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, chief executive of Philip Morris Jacek Olczak explained that the plans were part of the drive to bring the curtain down on traditional smoking in the UK and become a smoke-free company.
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Olczak explained: "I want to allow this company to leave smoking behind. I think in the UK, ten years from now maximum, you can completely solve the problem of smoking."
When he was asked whether that meant the company would put a stop on the sale of traditional cigarettes, he responded: "Absolutely."
He went on to say that the brand would die out anyway: "It will disappear. The first choice for consumers is they should quit smoking. But if they don't, the second best choice is to let them switch to the better alternatives."
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This is all in support of the government's plan to make England smoke-free by 2030 but leading medics have said that the country will miss this target.
In an open letter to the Prime Minister and Health Secretary Sajid Javid, experts said that 'despite acknowledging that it would be extremely challenging', there is still no sign to date of the 'bold action the government promised to deliver this crucial public health objective.'
The letter also has the backing of the charities Asthma UK, Cancer Research UK, the British Thoracic Society and the British Heart Foundation.
Published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), the letter said: "Although we are a world leader in tobacco control, the current rate of decline in smoking is insufficient to deliver the ambition."
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Since the plan was announced two years ago, more than 200,000 children under the age of 16 in England have started smoking, two-thirds of whom will go on to become daily smokers, it added.
The letter continued: "Half the difference in life expectancy between rich and poor people is the result of smoking, and the economic, as well as health, gains from a smoke-free country will benefit most those in disadvantaged groups and disadvantaged regions."
The experts argue that the government should implement the recommendations from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health, including introducing a levy on tobacco manufacturers, which could raise £700 million in year one alone.
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