Tobacco Harm Reduction
THR is one of the most important public health movements in America.
Reducing the Health Impact of Our Business
Reducing the health impact of our business is paramount to our sustainability commitment. To do this, we prioritize innovation among our New Category products so we can offer an increased variety of potentially reduced-risk products for adult nicotine consumers.
We have a real opportunity to improve our communities and society by reducing the risk of smoking for adults through Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) initiatives, which are backed by science and have shown positive results that we are building on to achieve our vision, mission, and goals
-Chris Junker, Vice President, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs within the Reynolds American Organization
Reynolds Believes THR is an Opportunity to Benefit Public Health
Reynolds champions Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) in an array of ways, including product development and science, regulatory engagement with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and external engagement with interested stakeholders.
THR is an evidence-based public health strategy intended to reduce the health harms associated with using combustible tobacco products.
THR encourages adult smokers uninterested in quitting tobacco altogether to consider using an innovative, alternative nicotine product that may present less risk, like vapor, tobacco heating, oral nicotine and smokeless products.
Empowering Adult Smoker Choice
The best choice any smoker can make will always be quitting tobacco products completely. We do not make any health or cessation claims about our portfolio of products. No tobacco product is safe or without risk. The long-term health risks of these products are not known, and they contain nicotine, which is addictive.
Even with this in mind, all adult tobacco users deserve to understand their tobacco product options, from combustible to non-combustible. Because of this, we are constantly working to reduce the health impact of our business by offering adult consumers a greater choice of enjoyable and potentially reduced-risk*† products compared to cigarettes. Our focus on THR, informed by science, is critical in achieving our purpose to deliver A Better Tomorrow™ because a world without harm reduction does more harm.
“*Based on the weight of evidence and assuming a complete transition from cigarette smoking. These products are not risk-free and are addictive.
† Our Vapor product Vuse (including Alto, Solo, Ciro and Vibe) and certain products including Velo, Grizzly, Kodiak, and Camel Snus, which are sold in the U.S., are subject to FDA regulation and no reduced-risk claims will be made as to these products without agency clearance.
The Tobacco Risk Continuum
Non-combustible tobacco products offer an alternative to combustible tobacco products. Nicotine pouches, Tobacco Heating Products, vapor products, all present potentially lower levels of risk than their combustible tobacco products. Adults who don’t want to quit tobacco products altogether may instead opt to use potentially reduced-risk products like these.
*Image adapted from “Continuum of Risk for Nicotine Containing Products.” Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction, 2020
Accessible science-based resources
Reynolds American believes that a world without harm reduction options is one that hurts our adult consumers and communities. That is why we maintain a dedicated THR website, ReynoldsHarmReduction.com, to provide resources and science-backed evidence. The website demonstrates a clear need for collective action and empowers adults to make the most informed decisions.
Creating A Better Tomorrow for Public Health in America
In 2023, we released our inaugural white paper, Tobacco Harm Reduction: Creating A Better Tomorrow for Public Health in America. The report provides information about harm reduction and its scientific evidence. We encourage its use as a resource and guide for productive conversations about harm reduction and its benefits. It is available in written and audio versions on ReynoldsHarmReduction.com.
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/index.htm
Our continued commitment to scientific understanding of THR
In 2023, Reynolds American companies initiated a 24-month study, Longitudinal Tobacco Use and Transitions Survey (LTTS), as part of our Pre-Market Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) for Vuse Alto. The study measured the impact of Vuse vapor on certain adult populations across the country and how using Vuse may benefit adult consumers who do not want to quit tobacco use.
Scientific evidence is the No. 1 driver of our THR strategy. We value constructive debate and transparency among all stakeholders in this effort to bolster THR and enable the transition to less harmful products. This is why we have released the findings of LTTS to the public. A full presentation on the study can be found at ReynoldsScience.com.
