Welcome to A Better Tomorrow Hub
This platform is intended for adults aged 18 and over.
The material on the A Better Tomorrow Hub is intended to share stories, insights, and science from across the region foster responsible change. The information is provided to scientists, public health authorities, regulators, policy makers, investors and adult tobacco and nicotine users in markets where such content is legally permitted.
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Shaping the Future of Tobacco Harm Reduction
Smokeless Products, such as Vapour Products, Heated Products, Oral Tobacco Products, and Oral Nicotine Pouches, provide adult smokers, who would otherwise continue to smoke, with scientifically-substantiated, reduced-risk*† alternatives. To date, we have published more than 260 articles relating to Tobacco Harm Reduction and our Smokeless Products in international, peer-reviewed journals, demonstrating our commitment to open scientific discourse. We are also very clear in communicating that Smokeless Products are not risk free.
Since the launch of our first Vapour Product in 2013, BAT has invested significant resources into Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) through the development of our portfolio of Smokeless Products. Committed to building A Better Tomorrow™, we have around 1,750 research and development (R&D) specialists spread across the globe, including in the UK, USA, China, Indonesia, and Malaysia. We invest around £300[1] million a year in R&D to develop New Category products (i.e. Vapour Products, Heated Products, and Modern Oral Products) and assess them to ensure there is scientific evidence of their reduced-risk*† potential.
Evolving Trends and Innovations
The largest category of Smokeless Products is Vapour Products. The first such products were introduced in China in 2004. In 2006, the Ruyan Group (Holdings) Limited launched the first e-cigarette in Europe and the U.S., called the ‘Ruyan V8’. We launched our first Vapour Products, Vype in the UK and Vuse Solo in the U.S., in 2013. The most recent category of Smokeless Products is Oral Nicotine Pouches, where we launched Velo in the U.S., in 2016. Innovation continues at pace in all categories to create a range of Smokeless Products that meet consumer demand and facilitate adult smokers switching to lower risk*† Smokeless Products.
Looking Ahead: A Smokeless Future
As we pursue reduced-risk*† alternatives for adult smokers, our ambition is to reach 50 million adult consumers# of Smokeless Products by 2030. We are making significant progress towards this goal; as of June 2024, our Smokeless Products have gained 26.4 million adult consumers globally.
To further accelerate this momentum and empower even greater consumer choice, we opened a new Innovation Centre at our global R&D headquarters in Southampton, UK in Q1 2024. This £30 million facility enhances our R&D capabilities with specialised technical spaces dedicated to advancing our range of reduced-risk*† products. Meanwhile, our Regional Analytical Lab (RAL) in Malang, Indonesia, also plays a vital role, providing world-class research and supporting local manufacturers. These combined efforts demonstrate our unwavering commitment to providing adult smokers with a diverse range of reduced-risk*† products.
We believe that a smokeless future requires a collaborative approach based on accurate risk assessment and open communication. Through comprehensive evidence and innovative product development, we aim to offer reduced-risk*† alternatives to traditional cigarettes, contributing to improved impacts on public health. As we navigate this evolving landscape, our mission remains focused on reducing the health impact of our business through our scientifically substantiated research and state-of-the-art innovation facilities to transform our product portfolio.
Disclaimer
# Comparison with smoke from a scientific standard reference cigarette (approximately 9 mg tar) in terms of the average of the 9 harmful components the World Health Organization recommends reducing in cigarette smoke. These products are not risk free and are addictive.
The number of consumers of Smokeless Products is defined as the estimated number of Legal Age (minimum 18 years) consumers of the Group’s Smokeless products - which does not necessarily mean these consumers are solus consumers of these products. In markets where regular consumer tracking is in place, this estimate is obtained from adult consumer tracking studies conducted by third parties (including Kantar). In markets where regular consumer tracking is not in place, the number of consumers of Smokeless Products is derived from volume sales of consumables and devices in such markets, using consumption patterns obtained from other similar markets with adult consumer tracking (utilising studies conducted by third parties, including Kantar).
We believe that through knowledge sharing, we can build a Smokeless World, which is why we created the Omni™, a BAT’s manifesto on tobacco harm reduction intended for scientists, public health authorities, regulators, policy makers, and investors.
Visit asmokelessworld.com and download the Omni™. Review the evidence. Join the Conversation.