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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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Tobacco Harm Reduction: A Path to a Smokeless World
Tobacco Harm Reduction is encouraging millions of adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke to switch to reduced-risk*† alternatives—and what challenges remain ahead.
The global health burden of smoking remains staggering. The World Health Organization estimates that over eight million deaths each year are attributable to smoking cigarettes, yet over a billion people continue to smoke [1]. This stark reality underscores the urgent need for effective Tobacco Harm Reduction strategies.
While the best choice any adult smoker can make will always be to quit completely, Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) provides options for adults smokers, who would otherwise continue to smoke, to switch completely to scientifically-substantiated reduced-risk*† alternatives. This approach focuses on minimising exposure to the individual and population level harm associated with using combustible cigarettes.
Our business is now focused on facilitating the acceleration of THR globally. Our Smokeless Products are available in more than 80 markets, we have an ambition to achieve 50 million adult consumers# of our Smokeless Products by 2030, and we want at least 50% of our revenue to come from Smokeless Products by 2035.[2,3].
The Rise of Smokeless Products
The tobacco industry is undergoing a significant transformation with the emergence of Smokeless Products as reduced-risk*† alternatives to combustible cigarettes. Smokeless Products are not risk-free, but the key is that they, based on the weight of evidence, have lower risk profile compared to combustible cigarettes. The past decade, cigarette consumption has declined dramatically, during which time the number of adult consumers of Smokeless Products such as Vapour Products, Heated Products, and Oral Nicotine Pouches has grown to an estimated 115 million. Between 2020 and 2024, the global number of adult Smokeless Product consumers grew by approximately 70% [4,5,6]. Notably, this growth is most pronounced in countries experiencing the steepest declines in smoking rates, suggesting that when properly regulated, Smokeless Products can support rather than undermine public health efforts.
Challenges in Achieving THR
Smokeless Products play a role in helping many countries like Japan, Sweden, and the UK reduce their cigarette smoking rates. Yet, not all the world's adult smokers have legal access to Smokeless Products. This means that millions of smokers, who will otherwise continue smoking, do not have access to alternative products and will not be encouraged to make the switch.
Furthermore, public understanding of THR and Smokeless Products is often clouded by myths and misperceptions. One prevalent misperception is that nicotine, as a substance, is the primary cause of smoking-related diseases. While nicotine is addictive and not risk free, it is not the primary cause of smoking-related diseases. It is the 150 toxicants in the smoke produced during the burning of cigarettes that primarily causes the serious risk associated with smoking-related diseases.
A Sustainable, Smokeless Future
While not risk-free, Smokeless Products, including Heated Products, Vapour Products, Oral Tobacco Products and Oral Nicotine Pouches, offer adult consumers who would otherwise continue to smoke the opportunity to consume nicotine with reduced risks compared to continued cigarette smoking*†#. We also believe that tobacco control measures and THR can work in collaboration to reduce cigarette consumption and encourage adults who would otherwise smoke to switch completely to lower risk alternative tobacco and nicotine products. This requires continued robust scientific research, transparent communication, clear and supportive regulation, as well as collaboration among stakeholders to improve future public health outcomes and move towards a smokeless world.
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.