Cigarette giant Philip Morris International (PMI) has extended its 26 year partnership with Dorna Sports S.L., the commercial rights holder for the world FIM MotoGP Championships.
The two will continue their collaboration until 2021 and aim to work on replacing cigarettes with other smoking alternatives.
“The best choice for consumers concerned about the health risks of smoking is to quit tobacco and nicotine altogether. Today, however, technology, science and innovation provide a real opportunity to encourage all men and women who continue smoking to switch from cigarettes to less harmful, smoke-free alternatives,” said PMI vice president Global Event Partnerships, Riccardo Parino. “Working together with Dorna, we can accelerate positive change for the millions of MotoGP fans who smoke.”
The World Health Organization reports that there are more than 1 billion people who smoke cigarettes today and will continue to smoke in the future. The extended partnership aims to raise awareness of positive impact of quitting smoking and the significant role of having alternative and innovative solutions, who would otherwise continue to smoke.
“Dorna is passionate about constantly improving the sport and the fan experience. Every year, technology and innovation are helping to improve MotoGP racing. By working with PMI, we can make a difference by encouraging a positive change at MotoGP events around the world,” Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta said.
PMI said it has spent more than US$4.5 billion to develop, substantiate and build manufacturing capacity for a wide portfolio of smoke-free products. Both companies said in a statement that they’ll provide more details about their joint initiative in 2019.
