Özlem Dikmen, the new head of the tobacco giant Philip Morris in Germany, has expressed her desire to see the elimination of cigarettes, stating to the magazine “Focus” that “We must help people quit smoking. Smoking is harmful.” She actively works towards the day when the last Marlboro cigarette is lit. “I sincerely hope that day will come, even if the current figures do not reflect it. I still hope it will come sooner than we currently believe.” Dikmen herself used to smoke, but only socially when dining out with friends and drinking alcohol. She noted that the switch to heated tobacco was a challenge for her because she had long preferred the scent of authentic tobacco.
Dikmen also plans to engage in dialogue with federal drug official Hendrik Streeck (CDU). Streeck had recently complained that the tobacco lobby was aggressively targeting him. “That is certainly not my understanding of interest representation,” Özlem said. “For me, it is about representing positions transparently and exchanging different viewpoints. I consider dialogue essential, especially on controversial topics. Therefore, I would welcome a personal conversation with Mr. Streeck.”
Furthermore, the Philip Morris chief criticized the planned increase in tobacco taxes in Germany. While asserting that the company is not fundamentally against higher taxes, she stressed that they must be implemented in a planned, gradual, and proportional manner. According to Dikmen, “Experience teaches us: if cigarette prices rise too sharply, the black market will flourish.” She emphasized that Germany is not an isolated country.
Dikmen highlighted the prevalence of illegal trade, stating that 17 percent of cigarette volume is already imported today. She pointed to France as an example of the risks involved, noting that roughly every second cigarette sold there is illegal, which consequently fuels organized crime, drug trafficking, and security and youth protection issues. For heated tobacco, imports are even higher, comprising 34 percent from abroad, specifically citing Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria. She observed that these trends are already visible in parts of Eastern Germany: in certain postal code regions in Poland, up to 90 percent of heated tobacco sticks are purchased there because of lower taxes. Even in Berlin, depending on the specific postal code, between 43 and 57 percent of sticks are sourced internationally.
