british american tobacco p.l.c. sustainability report 2010 - Harm reduction
We will strive to bring commercially viable, consumer acceptable reduced-risk products to market.
2010 progress in brief
We believe we are making a significant contribution to the science needed to assess potential reduced-exposure products. The results of our first clinical studies have been analysed, we have made good progress in developing laboratory models of diseases and have reinvigorated our biotechnology programme. We continue to publish and present our scientific results whenever we can and continue to engage with regulators.
Our approach
The only way to avoid the health risks associated with tobacco products is not to use them at all. Public health policies are therefore intended to discourage people from smoking in the first place and to quit if they already do. However, in addition to cessation and prevention efforts, a broader approach to tobacco harm reduction is increasingly being considered by some public health policy makers.
This involves pragmatic measures aimed at reducing illness and death among those who continue to smoke. Being the first to market with a range of reduced-risk products has potential advantages for commercial sustainability and could begin to align our sources of profit more closely with the aims of those within the public health community who support a broader approach to tobacco harm reduction.
Our approach is to pursue the research, development and test marketing of innovative products that will have consumer acceptability and will be recognised by scientific and public health communities and regulators as posing reduced risks to health.
Our focus is on:
- Addressing the scientific challenges around developing and assessing combustible potential reduced-exposure products (PREPs);
- Engaging with the external scientific, public health and regulatory communities; and
- Researching, developing and test marketing new reduced-risk product categories.
