On World No Tobacco Day, British American Tobacco (BAT) reaffirmed its commitment to preventing youth access to tobacco and nicotine products while advocating for global collaboration in building a smokeless world. Highlighting the significantly lower health risks of smokeless alternatives such as vaping, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches, BAT emphasized their role in helping adult smokers transition away from combustible cigarettes.
Countries like Sweden, Japan, and New Zealand have demonstrated notable declines in smoking rates through the adoption of reduced-risk products. BAT urged regulators to ensure adult access to these alternatives while enforcing strict measures to prevent underage use. These include mandatory age verification, enforcement of age restrictions, and tailored penalties for violations.
BAT Bangladesh’s Shabab Choudhury stressed the importance of responsible business practices and effective regulation to support Bangladesh’s tobacco-free goals. Dr. James Murphy of BAT Group highlighted harm reduction as a powerful public health tool, calling for its broader adoption backed by scientific evidence.
The company also introduced Omni™, a new platform to advance dialogue and share research on Tobacco Harm Reduction, reinforcing BAT’s ambition to become a predominantly smokeless business by 2035.
