New technologies and the tobacco industry's industrial strategies (including product diversification, massive investment in vaporizing technologies and related marketing), combined with harm reduction policies, may result in the partial replacement of combustible tobacco products by a range of vaporization technologies, with ensuing decreases in smokingrelated harm. However, it is not certain that this scenario will occur. Such an outcome can only be achieved if appropriate public policies and industrial strategies are combined to maximize uptake of new technologies by smokers while minimizing any associated risks at the population level. Without joined-up efforts to eliminate combustible tobacco products,the prediction that one billion tobacco-related deaths will occur in the 21st century may well materialize.