In order to circumvent an impending European Union prohibition on flavor-infused heated tobacco products, major tobacco companies, including British American Tobacco, are marketing heat sticks created from nicotine-infused materials like rooibos tea.
Health professionals caution that while the sticks represent a novel technique for inhaling the addictive substance, their safety is not yet known.
For years, the tobacco industry has produced “heat-not-burn” sticks in an effort to prevent the emission of hazardous chemicals during burning.
Due to growing health consciousness and high taxes in some areas, traditional cigarettes are no longer as popular as they once were. These “reduced risk” alternatives, which are heated in a machine, have helped offset this trend.
British American Tobacco has now taken things a step further by introducing a version of its sticks in nine European nations, including Germany and Greece, that uses nicotine-infused Rooibos tea in place of tobacco. The corporation intends to launch the product all over the world.
The move offers “the broadest possible range of reduced-risk products to adult nicotine users and smokers,” according to a statement from BAT.
The hazards of breathing the tea, however, remain unknown, according to researchers.
A research associate at King’s College London, Erikas Simonavicius, asserted that “anything that burns or is vaporized… and inhaled into the lungs probably will cause some effects.”
Simonavicius stated that tobacco corporations have not yet released any studies examining the potential health effects of rooibos or other zero-tobacco products.
BAT, the first major tobacco company to disclose the ingredients in their zero-tobacco sticks, declined to confirm whether such a study had been done.
Competitor Philip Morris International (PMI) said during an investor day in September that it will begin distributing a zero-tobacco stick later this year.
It declined to disclose the ingredients in the medication or address any potential health risks.
Jacek Olczak, CEO of PMI, warned investors that the company’s zero-tobacco sticks might not be subject to the same regulatory oversight as tobacco products.
According to the corporation, the existing EU tobacco regulations do not apply to BAT’s zero-tobacco sticks.
That implies that it will be able to continue selling rooibo sticks with flavors like peppermint and tropical fruit even after the bloc as a whole bans flavor-enhanced heated tobacco products later this month.
According to a statement from Jefferies analyst Owen Bennett, “The obvious benefit these new products should provide is a way to keep menthol and flavor varieties on the EU market.”
Rivals Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Brands declined to comment on whether they will introduce zero-tobacco sticks.
According to Phil Gorham, a senior stock analyst for Morningstar, and Bennett of Jefferies, the regulatory benefits these products currently enjoy are not expected to endure for very long. New tobacco-related directives in the EU are either overdue or anticipated within the next few years.
“The next generation of regulation is going to target nicotine,” Gorham stated.
According to Fabienne Diekmann, an attorney for the companies, some smaller tea stick sellers in Germany are already in a legal battle with the government over whether their products are subject to the country’s current tobacco tax laws.
RULES ARE REQUIRED
Cigarettes continue to generate the great majority of revenue for the tobacco industry. For instance, BAT distributes brands like Dunhill, Lucky Strike, and Camel in more than 170 markets throughout the world, many of which have strict regulations and tariffs.
Despite the fact that the new product is exempt from EU cigarette taxes, BAT’s rooibos heat sticks are offered in Germany on the company’s official heated tobacco website for 5.80 euros ($6.11), the same price as the majority of its flavored tobacco heat sticks.
That suggests that they might generate a bigger profit margin, according to Morningstar’s Gorham.
The minimum tax on heated tobacco products in the EU is 20% of the retail price, while national governments are free to impose greater rates.
According to researchers, it’s critical to offer smokers a wide range of alternatives, but these must be adequately managed to prevent them from tempting more people to consume nicotine.
Professor of health psychology at University College London, Lion Shabab, remarked, “The way to prevent that… is to be very strict about how these products are marketed and how they are displayed.”
According to tobacco corporations, their alternative products are intended for smokers rather than people who do not currently use nicotine.
