For all the incredible developments that the human mind has made possible, the biggest impediment to progress sometimes remains our own way of thinking. Our biases can make us resist change and keep us from searching for better solutions.

Dr. Moira Gilchrist

Fortunately, the speed and frequency of innovation today leaves little room for inertia. Most people expect science and technology to drive change and help solve our most pressing challenges. In fact, more than 85% of adults believe that governments have a responsibility to embrace the latest scientific and technological developments, with similar expectations expressed for businesses, too, according to a recent international survey of more than 22,500 people, which was conducted by research firm Povaddo and commissioned by Philip Morris International (PMI).

As a scientist working for PMI, I am comforted to see that people’s belief in the promise of science extends to the integration of innovation within our industry. Reducing smoking rates remains a tremendously important public health issue, with three in four respondents (76 percent) believing it is important for governments to dedicate time and resources to achieving this goal.

By a nearly identical margin (77 percent), the public agrees that adult smokers should have access to, and accurate information about, smoke-free alternatives that have been scientifically substantiated to be a better choice than continued smoking.

But for real progress to be achieved, our policies and regulations need to continuously adapt and keep pace with innovation in order to leverage its full potential. Where policymaking lags behind, society misses opportunities for progress. Science can, and does, make the impossible possible. But until governments, the public health community, and industry come together, so many solutions will remain out of reach.

In my experience, the biggest hurdle remains a lack of consensus that in decision-making, science and facts must weigh more heavily than politics and personal opinions. This is the situation we are facing at PMI: As we push to deliver a smoke-free future — one where we no longer sell cigarettes in the international markets where our company operates—we face obstruction of real progress due to confusion, misinformation, and those who simply lump all tobacco products and companies together.

The facts are simple: There now exist science-based, smoke-free products that can replace cigarettes and make a profound difference for those men and women who would otherwise continue to smoke. Scientific knowledge has progressed, and it is now widely accepted that the primary cause of smoking-related disease is not nicotine or the tobacco leaf itself, but the smoke that is generated when tobacco is burned.

Moreover, substantial scientific research—by the industry and independent bodies—has established that nicotine-containing products that do not burn tobacco, while not risk-free, have the potential to produce significantly lower levels of harmful chemicals compared with cigarettes.

These new products have the potential to deliver a significant positive impact on public health. And yet in many places, we still lack updated, science-driven regulation that will encourage adult smokers to switch to better alternatives rather than continue to use cigarettes. Policymakers and the public health community can change this. They can accelerate progress by insisting on an objective and rigorous assessment of the scientific findings. And they can put forward risk-proportionate regulations to ensure adult smokers have access to and accurate information about these alternatives.

As a scientist, I know that progress demands rigor, intellectual honesty, and a willingness to remain open to new evidence. As with many of the global challenges we face, the innovations needed to address the issue of smoking are already available.

The question is no longer whether we can replace cigarettes, but how fast we can get there by ensuring that these innovations reach and benefit adults who smoke. Regulators, public health experts, and companies such as ours can all effect change by acting now to put science at the front and center of this conversation.