It looks like Philip Morris International is getting ready to move on from cigarettes.

According to SkyNews the company "has vowed to phase out cigarettes and move into smoke-free products instead."

The "smoke-free products" consist of a new electronic device that heats tobacco instead of burning it.

An Electronic Cigarette Is An Anti Smoking Health Device
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SkyNews says "The cooler temperature lowers levels of 15 noxious chemicals found in cigarette smoke by 95%."

Besides the obvious health reasons, the switch to heated tobacco may have something to do with the decline in cigarette smoking across the U.S.

The CDC says "smoking has declined from 20.9% in 2005 to 15.5% in 2016." In Illinois, current cigarette use among adults is anywhere between 15.3% and 18.6%.

With all the chatter of declining cigarette use across the country and the globe, Phillip Morris is probably making the right decision. However, there is no word when the world's biggest tobacco company officially plans on dropping cigarettes.

Sweet Lenny is the brand manager of 97ZOK and Operations Manager for Townsquare Media Rockford. Catch him afternoons 3 to 7 on 97ZOK. Follow him on TwitterInstagram and like his page on Facebook.

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