Philip Morris International considered selling its Marlboro business to exit the cigarette industry, according to its chief executive Jack Olczak, reports Daily Mail.

Olczak said although he had held discussions about selling Marlboro, he decided to keep the business to help finance its growth in 'wellness' products. The report said.
His comments come as PMI faces a growing backlash from health activists over its controversial plans to buy British inhaler company Vectura. PMI has said the move is part of its shift from cigarettes to a 'smoke-free' future, selling less harmful e-cigarettes and 'wellness' products.
Olczak told The Mail on Sunday: “Yes, we had this discussion [about selling Marlboro]. Our conclusion was, if we retained cigarettes, actually it would accelerate our journey [from traditional tobacco revenues] because I can allocate resources.”