Smokeless Products: An Introduction
As the world changes at unprecedented speed, bringing innovation with agility is critical to a multi-category company like ours.
Since the launch of our first vapour product in 2013, we have been on a transformation journey to become a truly multi-category consumer products business, with a mission to build A Better Tomorrow™. We are creating new Smokeless Products that encourage adult smokers, who would otherwise continue to smoke, to switch to scientifically-substantiated, reduced-risk*† alternatives.
Our Smokeless Products can be categorised into four types: Heated Products, Vapour Products, Oral Tobacco Products, and Oral Nicotine Pouches. Through our transformation journey several terms are used to collectively define these products, e.g. Next Generation Products, Non- Combustible Products, New Category Products, and reduced-risk*† Products (RRPs). Additionally, each product type may have had a different term during the past decade (Figure 1). The commonality all these products share is that they operate with the absence of combustion. This is one of their key differentiators compared to cigarettes and the main factor as to why they have a reduced-risk*† relative to cigarettes.
Figure 1: BAT Smokeless Products: Formats, Brands and Consumer Use
Inhalable
Heated Products
Other Names / Types
- Heat-not-burn (HNB)
- Tobacco Heating Products (THP)
- Heated Tobacco Products (HTP)
- Herbal Heating Products (HHP)
Method of Delivery
Inhalation (Lung)
BAT Lead Brand
glo
Device
Consumable
Consumer Operation
The consumer inserts the consumable into the battery-powered device and starts the heating session. Once the consumable has reached the necessary temperature, the consumer puffs on the product and inhales the aerosol. (Note: the consumable remains in the device)
How they work
The consumable contains a plant-based (tobacco leaf or non-tobacco leaf) substrate that is heated to a temperature <400°C that forms an aerosol composed of a carrier (glycerol), nicotine and flavours.
Inhalable
Vapour Products
Other Names / Types
- Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS)
- E-Cigarettes
- Vaping Devices
- Vapes
Method of Delivery
Inhalation (Lung)
BAT Lead Brand
Vuse
Device
Consumable
Consumer Operation
The consumer inserts the consumable into the battery-powered device and turns on the device. Once on, if the device is puff-activated, the consumer will puff on the consumable and inhale the formed aerosol. If the device is button-activated, the consumer will press the button, puff on the consumable, and inhale the formed aerosol.
Note: for Vapour Products that do not have separate consumables (i.e. a disposable e-cigarette) the consumer only needs to turn on the device, before then puffing on the product as required.
How they work
The product contains an e-liquid comprised of carriers (glycerol and propylene glycol), nicotine and flavours, and a heating element. When activated, via puff or button, the heating element heats the liquid (to a temperature typically <200°C) and forms an aerosol comprised of the carriers, nicotine and flavours.
Oral
Oral Tobacco Products
Other Names / Types
- Traditional Oral
- Smokeless Tobacco
- Snus
- Moist-Snuff
Method of Delivery
Buccal Mucosa (Inner lining of the cheek between the lip and gum)
BAT Lead Brand
Camel, Lundgrens, Grizzly, Epok
Consumable
Consumer Operation
The consumer takes a single portion or pouch and places it within the mouth, between the lip and gum.
How they work
When a portion or pouch is placed within the mouth, between the lip and gum, nicotine and flavours are absorbed from the pouch into blood stream via the buccal mucosa (inner lining of the cheek).
Oral
Oral Nicotine Pouches
Other Names / Types
- Modern Oral
- Nicotine Pouches
Method of Delivery
Buccal Mucosa (Inner lining of the cheek between the lip and gum)
BAT Lead Brand
Velo
Consumable
Consumer Operation
The consumer takes a single pouch and places it within the mouth, between the lip and gum.
How they work
When a pouch is placed within the mouth, between the lip and gum, nicotine and flavours are absorbed from the pouch into the blood stream via the buccal mucosa (inner lining of the cheek).
A History of Smokeless Products
Smokeless Products were first conceived as early as the 17th century, with Oral Tobacco Products, such as snus, used in Sweden. In the 1980s and 1990s, RJ Reynolds introduced Premier and Eclipse in the U.S. as the first Heated Products, which were followed by Accord from Philip Morris International.
While early products saw limited commercial success, Heated Products were reintroduced in 2014, with Philip Morris International launching IQOS in Japan, followed closely by BAT under the brand glo. The largest category of Smokeless Products is Vapour Products. The first of such products was introduced in China in 2004. In 2006, the Ruyan Group (Holdings) Limited launched the first e-cigarette in Europe and the U.S., called the ‘Ruyan V8’. We launched our first Vapour Products, Vype in the UK and Vuse Solo in the U.S., in 2013. The most recent category of Smokeless Products is Oral Nicotine Pouches, where we launched Velo in the U.S., in 2016. Innovation continues at pace in all categories to create a range of Smokeless Products that meet consumer demand and facilitate adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke switch to lower risk*† Smokeless Products.
1950s
Oral tobacco
1988
Heated products
1996
Heated products
1998
Heated products
Accord launched
2006
Heated products
Heatbar launched
2006
Vapour products
First e-Cigarette Launched by Ruyan Group
2013
Vapour products
2014
Heated Products
IQOS Launched
2015
Vapour Products
JUUL Launched
2016
Heated Products
2016
Vapour Products
2016
Oral Nicotine Pouches
2020
Heated Products
2022
Vapour Products
2024
Multi-category
2025
Multi-category
Footnotes
* Based on the weight of evidence and assuming a complete switch from cigarette smoking. These products are not risk free and are addictive.
† Products sold in the U.S., including Vuse, Velo, Grizzly, Kodiak, and Camel Snus, are subject to FDA regulation and no reduced-risk claims will be made as to these products without agency clearance.
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