Philip Morris Malaysia and Singapore managing director Naeem Shahab Khan said a regulated harm-reduction approach for Malaysia would be more viable than ‘unrealistic’ bans. Naeem Shahab Khan of Philip Morris Malaysia and Singapore said Japan has ensured that heated tobacco products and other alternatives for smokers are available by law. Apart from ensuring the availability of alternatives, Japan has also introduced a different tax structure for heated tobacco products, Naeem told FMT after the launch of the latest heated tobacco product here. Under the new tax regime, a different tax rate is imposed on each tobacco product based on their specific characteristics. The report noted that while cigarette smoking in Japan fell, overall nicotine consumption did not necessarily drop as many Japanese smokers switched products, rather than quit nicotine altogether.