New BAT Boss Calls for ‘Better’ Vaping Rules

Tadeu Marroco says issues such as youth use continue as many countries adopt a tougher stance on vaping products.

The newly appointed head of British American Tobacco has expressed a desire for governments to apply more “better regulations” towards vaping products and other tobacco alternatives, as the public debate over them is growing in intensity and becoming an issue for the industry.

Tadeu Marroco told the Financial Times that the FTSE 100-listed owner of Lucky Strike and Dunhill was “very keen” to work with regulators to address problems such as vaping’s use among teenagers and its environmental impact.

“We need to have better regulations. We cannot ignore the benefit of migrating smokers out of cigarettes, but being unregulated, we have issues related to youth access and the environment,” Marroco said.

“The problem is that this is a phenomenon that has grown so fast and the regulators are always catching up. But there are clearly opportunities for us to improve the level playing field.”

Since Marroco took the helm in May of this year, there has been an increased push around the globe to restrict flavored e-cigarettes, due in part to advice from anti-nicotine groups and World Health Organization. India, Thailand, and Argentina have all implemented full bans on all forms of vaping products.

NHS guidelines in the UK suggest vapes can help people stop smoking although they also state that the activity “is not completely risk-free”. The government said in April it would offer 1 million smokers vape starter kits. Selling vapes to under-18s is illegal.