GTNF 2022: BAT’s Wheaton Calls for More Unity in THR

Stakeholders in the vaping and tobacco industry must work together in their efforts to end combustible cigarette use. During the 2022 Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum (GTNF), Chief Growth Officer for BAT, Kingsley Wheaton, said greater collaboration is needed between the industry, governments, and intergovernmental organizations to accelerate tobacco harm reduction (THR) policy.

“We must provide adult consumers with a portfolio of products that are a better choice than cigarettes. And, so that consumers are able to make informed decisions about those choices, public health needs to accurately communicate risk, while the industry should be able to responsibly communicate the benefits of switching via appropriate marketing freedoms,” Wheaton told the estimated 289 conference attendees.

BAT estimates that it will have helped 50 million adult smokers to switch to less harmful non-combustible nicotine products by 2030, according to Wheaton. The company is also investing heavily in research and development, including its state-of-the-art Innovation Hub in Trieste, Italy, and conducting industry-leading science. One recent BAT study showed smokers who switched exclusively to BAT’s glo product saw significant and sustained improvements in several indicators of potential harm.

“The results from this study represent the most important data we have ever generated about glo in particular, and for the tobacco heating product category in general,” Wheaton said. “But this alone is not enough. Our voices cannot, should not and must not be the only one in this debate.”

The keys to unlocking the total transformation of the industry, and positively impacting public health outcomes, according to Wheaton, were:

• Continue to produce robust and accessible science – science is key to unlocking industry transformation, and cannot be done by industry figures alone. The voice of global public health scientists validating the role of tobacco harm reduction is needed.
• Maintain the combination of insights and innovation – marrying the science of tobacco harm reduction is necessary to build A Better Tomorrow. Ultimately, it is the consumer that will decide which products they use.
• Let trusted brands drive change responsibly – in Vuse and glo, BAT has created two billion-dollar brands² which are signposts for quality. Freedoms to responsibly inform adult smokers about the potential benefits of these products compared to smoking are key to delivering tobacco harm reduction.
• Transition from the old tobacco control approach of “quit or die” to sustainable change – where appropriate tobacco harm reduction policies have been adopted, such as in the UK and Japan, smoking rates have reduced.
• Embrace change and progression – fostering engagement between governments, intergovernmental bodies and industry figures is necessary to facilitate the exchange of crucial knowledge and data.

BAT has a strong presence at GTNF 2022. Alongside Wheaton, BAT leaders sharing insights into how science, technology and innovation are driving forward BAT’s progress include David O’Reilly, director of Scientific Research; Carlista Moore Conde, group head of New Sciences; Sharon Goodall, group head of Regulatory Science; and Flora Okereke, head of Global Regulatory Insights and Foresights.

“Perhaps the greatest change we’ve seen as an industry is the emergence of reduced-risk products,” Wheaton said. “As a result, reducing the health impact of our business has, for some time, been BAT’s North Star … Together, all stakeholders have a responsibility to make a difference, in a whole-of-society approach.”