Innovation and regulation can shape a smokeless future

As adult smokers seek alternatives to cigarettes, science-led innovation and responsible regulation will be critical to reducing harm while preventing underage access

More than a billion people continue to smoke worldwide, and smoking sits in the category of avoidable, high-risk behaviour. In the UAE, a daily smoking rate of 7 per cent remains a big issue for public health. The question for policymakers, communities, and responsible companies is how nicotine products can be made available in ways that reduce the risks associated with smoking-related diseases.

For years, the science has been clear, while nicotine is addictive and not risk free, it is the smoke from burning tobacco that is the primary cause of smoking-related diseases. Recognising this, the industry has harnessed innovation, developing new, smokeless alternatives based on this principle. These include vapour products, which heat a liquid into a vapour; heated tobacco products, which heat tobacco without burning it; and oral nicotine pouches which do not involve tobacco or combustion.

Combustion is the main source of toxicants in cigarette smoke, which is why products that do not require burning generally produce substantially lower levels of emissions. This is reflected in scientific research showing that smokeless products generally expose consumers to fewer and lower levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.

Nicotine pouches are a clear example of this innovation at work. Because they involve no combustion, nicotine is delivered to with no smoke, no ash and no tar, which eliminates exposure to combustion-related toxicants. Like all nicotine products, they are addictive and not risk free; however, based on the weight of the available evidence and assuming a complete switch from cigarette smoking, they present a lower risk profile than continued smoking of combustible cigarettes.

BAT’s own flagship nicotine pouch brand, Velo, contains 99% less toxicants compared to cigarette smoke. This is based on an assessment of smoke from a scientific reference of a cigarette of approximately 9 mg tar and components released during use of a Velo pouch – based on an average of nine harmful components independently prioritised for reduction in cigarette smoke.

But meaningful innovation goes beyond simply analysing a product. To fully unpack impact, we must also understand if nicotine pouches can have a lasting, positive public health effect. For this, we can look to Sweden for a real-world case study. Over the past few decades, a shift toward non-combustible oral tobacco and nicotine products in the market, notably, snus, coincided with some of the lowest smoking prevalence rates and tobacco-related mortality in the European Union. Multiple public health analyses also concluded that smokeless alternatives contributed to Swedish men’s lower smoking prevalence and smoking-related diseases, suggesting a population-level benefit when adult smokers make the complete switch from combustible products like cigarettes.

As a general manager at a company that has built its business foundations on traditional tobacco products, I do not say this lightly.  BAT’s vision is to Build a Smokeless World and become a predominantly smokeless business by 2035 – a commitment grounded in reducing the health impact of our business by actively migrating adult smokers, who would otherwise continue to smoke, to smokeless alternatives. As the world changes, technology has enabled us to take a substantial leap forward in creating these alternatives and accelerating that transformation.

That said, the public health community rightly urges caution. Some authorities warn that allowing the sale of smokeless products like nicotine pouches may cause unintended consequences, like underage access. The sale of these products must therefore be paired with robust regulation, including but not limited to strict age verification, marketing restrictions that prevent underage appeal, and clear product quality standards for ingredients and labelling. 

So, what should good regulation and industry practice look like? First, adopt regulation for nicotine pouches that recognises the reduced risk profile of smokeless alternatives, while prioritising measures that keep the products out of the hands of the underaged. Second, seek transparent, independent research, appropriate product standards, and evidence that substantiates tobacco harm reduction potential. And third, couple regulated product access with science-backed information so that adult smokers can be informed of the risk-reduction potential of making a complete switch to smokeless alternatives.   

I believe the industry must be part of the solution. As an industry leader, we have a responsibility to continue investing in the development and availability of innovative, reduced risk alternatives for adult smokers, rooted in science, and led by responsible marketing practices.

Ultimately, building a Smokeless World means ensuring policy is guided by evidence. By recognising the clear scientific distinctions between products such as nicotine pouches and cigarettes, we can offer viable alternatives to adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke and accelerate progress toward a world without cigarettes. 

- The writer is general manager, MENA at BAT Group.