A Wellington court has given the New Zealand division of Philip Morris International (PMI) the okay to sell its HEETS tobacco consumable for the IQOS device, despite a case made against it by New Zealand’s Ministry of Health, Reuters reported.

The country’s Ministry of Health had claimed that PMI’s HEETS product is illegal under New Zealand’s Smoke-free Environment Act, which bans chewing tobacco and other oral tobacco products. The Wellington court, however, has dismissed this claim, according to the report.
The HEETS tobacco sticks are heated in PMI’s IQOS device. They are not ignited like combustible cigarettes.
Philip Morris New Zealand General Manager, Jason Erickson, reportedly made a statement about the court decision: “We welcome the Court’s decision. This case does, however, highlight the need for urgent reform of regulations surrounding e-cigarettes and other smokeless tobacco products.”