LONDON, May 2 (Reuters) - Philip Morris International ( PM )

said on Friday it will launch its IQOS heated tobacco

device in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the second U.S. city

targeted by the cigarette maker in its tentative steps towards a

national roll out.

PMI began selling IQOS, at the core of its efforts to

diversify revenue away from cigarette brands like Marlboro, in

Austin, Texas, in March. That kicked off efforts by the world's

largest tobacco company to build a market for the device in the

United States.

It hopes to ultimately capture a 10% share of U.S. tobacco

and heated tobacco unit volume by 2030 and build a substantial

base of new users in the world's top market for smoking

alternatives. But a national launch is not planned until

regulators authorise a newer version of the device for U.S.

sale.

Until then, PMI said it would launch in four cities across

two states. But until Friday, only Austin had been announced.

"The Fort Lauderdale region offers a dynamic blend of

culture and industry, and we're thrilled to introduce IQOS to

this community," said Stacey Kennedy, U.S. CEO, PMI.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently weighing

PMI's application to sell the latest version of IQOS. The agency

has already authorised PMI to sell the older device and market

it as reducing exposure to harmful chemicals versus cigarettes.

Campaign groups like tobacco industry watchdog STOP,

however, argue there is no clear, independent evidence that

heated tobacco devices are a better alternative to cigarettes

and that they have some harmful effects.

Campaigners wrote to the FDA last year to oppose PMI's

IQOS-related applications.

PMI said that in Florida around 3.31 million legal-age

consumers regularly use nicotine and that the majority of those

smoke.

Adults in Fort Lauderdale will be able to join a wait-list

to try IQOS before it becomes commercially available in the

city.