PMI U.S. IQOS System Now Commercially Available to Austinites 21+ Looking for a Better Alternative to Cigarettes

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PMI U.S. is on a mission to improve public health by offering better alternatives to conventional cigarettes and other traditional tobacco products. Today, PMI U.S. announced its FDA-authorized IQOS system is now commercially available to residents in the Greater Austin area online at www.IQOS.com/us, at select pop-up stores and other 21+ venues.

Approximately 4.3 million Texans over the age of 21 regularly consume nicotine, and about 80% of them do so in the most harmful way — by smoking cigarettes. The launch of IQOS in Austin marks the first in a series of introductions in markets across the U.S.

“We’ve seen the impact that a diverse range of smoke-free alternatives—like IQOS and ZYN—can have in helping adults 21+ move away from cigarettes. We are committed to raising awareness and educating both consumers and public health leaders about the progress being made in harm reduction with our smoke-free products," said Stacey Kennedy, PMI U.S. CEO.

The news that Austinite’s 21+ can now purchase IQOS online follows the March announcement that a permanent IQOS store has opened at 3^rd and Congress Streets in downtown Austin. Since October 2024, more than 5,000 Austin residents 21+ and current nicotine consumers have signed up to “Be the First” to experience IQOS.

IQOS heats tobacco instead of burning it and although it’s not risk-free, it significantly reduces the production of harmful chemicals compared to conventional cigarettes. It’s authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a “modified risk tobacco product,” which means, the FDA has found it appropriate for the promotion of public health, making IQOS a better alternative for adults 21+ who smoke. IQOS is available in more than 70 markets globally, and since launching in Japan 10 years ago, the device has helped more than 23 million people worldwide switch from cigarettes and stopped smoking.

About PMI U.S.

Philip Morris International Inc. is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, and its U.S. affiliates employ more than 2,500 people. PMI U.S. is on a mission to improve public health by providing the 45 million Americans who use nicotine — 30 million of whom smoke cigarettes or use traditional tobacco — with innovative products that help them leave conventional cigarettes and other traditional tobacco products behind.

Since 2008, PMI has invested more than $14 billion globally to develop and commercialize FDA-authorized smoke-free products for legal-age nicotine consumers. PMI U.S. operates smoke-free product manufacturing facilities, including Swedish Match North America’s Owensboro, Kentucky, plant that makes ZYN nicotine pouches and a facility in Wilson, North Carolina, that produces HEETS for the IQOS heated tobacco device. Swedish Match North America has a regional office in Richmond, Virginia.

U.S. marketing practices support 21+ access only

PMI U.S. is committed to responsible marketing practices focused on limiting access to adults 21 years of age and older. PMI U.S. does not use social media influencers in the U.S. or people under the age of 35 — or who appear to be under the age of 35 — in marketing materials. PMI U.S. also employs independent age-verification systems, such as Double Verify, to direct digital advertising to those over 21, and owned digital platforms are age-gated at the point of access and restricted to current nicotine consumers who are 21+. Swedish Match North America is a Manufacturer Advisory Council member of the We Card Program, a national nonprofit serving retailers of age-restricted products. PMI is also a founding board member and investor in TruAge^®, a free retail technology that provides stores with a more accurate method of age verification, including the ability to detect fake IDs, to ensure access is limited to those 21+.

U.S. mission to improve public health through smoke-free products

Because adult nicotine consumer preferences differ, PMI U.S. is working to offer a range of smoke-free options for adults 21+. Since 2008, PMI has invested over $14 billion to develop, scientifically substantiate and commercialize innovative smoke-free products. In 2022, PMI acquired Swedish Match — a leader in oral nicotine delivery — creating a global smoke-free champion led by the ZYN and IQOS brands.

IQOS is authorized by the FDA as a modified risk tobacco product, meaning the FDA has found it appropriate for the promotion of public health. Although IQOS is not risk-free and is addictive, studies show that because the device heats tobacco instead of burning it, it significantly reduces the production of and exposure to harmful chemicals compared to conventional cigarettes for adults who smoke and who switch to IQOS completely.

In 2025, the FDA authorized all 20 Swedish Match ZYN nicotine pouch products currently sold in the U.S., making ZYN the only FDA-authorized nicotine pouch on the market to help adults who use cigarettes or traditional tobacco products completely switch. The FDA has authorized Swedish Match’s General snus as modified risk tobacco product.

Commitment to corporate social responsibility

PMI U.S. has contributed approximately $25 million to charitable causes since 2022, amplifying the good work of organizations already active within communities through both financial contributions and volunteering. PMI’s philanthropy pillars include supporting military veterans and military spouses, advancing local economic efforts in communities where PMI operates and natural disaster response and prevention. PMI U.S. helped form United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade, a coalition of nearly 100 national and state brand enforcement experts, law enforcement agencies, academics and leading business organizations working to combat illegal trade. USA-IT has trained more than 36,000 law enforcement officials.

For more information, please visit www.pmi.com/us/ and www.pmiscience.com.

References to “PMI” mean the Philip Morris International family of companies. “PMI U.S., “we”, “our”, and “us” refer to PMI’s U.S. businesses.