BAT publishes new industry-leading commitments to responsible vaping products

Under our flagship global Vuse brand, our vapour products play a major role in providing smokers, who would otherwise continue to smoke, with a reduced risk^*† alternative to cigarettes.

However, the growing popularity of vapour products as a reduced-risk^*† alternative has led to concerns among some stakeholders. These range from underage access and appeal, to product safety and environmental impact. These concerns have been fuelled by the market being saturated with illicit products that evade regulation and are often marketed to minors.

In some cases, regulators have reacted by applying extreme regulation to the entire vapour category, restricting or preventing adult smokers and nicotine users from accessing responsible manufacturers’ legal products.

We don’t believe progress can be made on Tobacco Harm Reduction unless responsible manufacturers address stakeholder concerns. We want to do this while also being responsive to the needs of our consumers. 

This is why we have launched a series of new industry-leading ambitions for our vapour devices (available below), supported by evidence-based solutions, to tackle some of the most pressing societal concerns.

Our purpose to Build A Better Tomorrow™ is clear, and we intend to do so while ensuring that our reduced-risk^*† products continue to be available, accessible and enjoyable for adult consumers.

In setting these ambitions, we are striving to:

• Prevent underage access, appeal and accidental use, by adopting age-gating technologies and accidental use restriction features, and ensuring device features, e-liquid flavours, packaging and marketing are designed for adults.
• Enhance product safety through assessment of ingredients, materials and emissions.
• Improve the circularity of our devices, by incorporating removeable batteries.
• Support an effectively regulated marketplace, by advocating for enforcement of regulation and strong penalties for non-compliance.

To achieve these goals, we are committed to pursuing progressive, multi-stakeholder solutions that build stronger connections between policymakers, regulatory, public health authorities and like-minded organisations that believe in the potential of Tobacco Harm Reduction.

To support these collaborative efforts, recently we announced the launch of Omni™ – Forward Thinking for a Smokeless World. Omni™ is an open, evidence-based platform built on leading scientific research, including over 250 BAT scientific publications and more than 600 external evidence-based and scientific references. This dynamic resource showcases the potential of Tobacco Harm Reduction as the most effective tool to achieve a Smokeless World and more information can be found at www.asmokelessworld.com.

At BAT, we take our responsibilities seriously. We will consider further actions, taking account of the impact of our existing targets, the latest scientific evidence and technological advancements that might be incorporated into our product offerings.