Tobacco Harm
Reduction
The Why
The Reynolds American organization is committed to Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR): a science-driven public health strategy to reduce the harm of smoking cigarettes.
THR is one of the most important movements for America’s public health agenda and offers a path to improve public health.
With almost 30 million adult smokers in the U.S., there is an opportunity to offer adult smokers who do not wish to quit tobacco and nicotine products altogether evidence-based, innovative smokeless product choices that are potentially less risky than traditional combustible cigarettes.
Nothing happens in a vacuum, which is why the Reynolds American organization’s approach to THR has four key pillars, all of which are crucial to having a positive impact on America’s public health.
Adult Alternative Product Choices
The Reynolds American organization is committed to meeting the changing nicotine preferences of millions of adult tobacco consumers. When it comes to Tobacco Harm Reduction, knowledge and choices about alternative products drive change.
Sensible Regulation
The Reynolds American organization supports sensible regulation that is based on sound science and high-quality standards that allow for responsible innovation and prioritizes access to alternative products for adult smokers.
Outcomes Through Collaboration
In a fast-changing market landscape, every stakeholder plays a significant role. To those who share a common ambition to reduce the harm from cigarette smoking, the Reynolds American organization invites dialogue and collaboration.
Science-Led Solutions
Our THR efforts offer evidence-based, science-led solutions that potentially reduce the harm of smoking cigarettes for the benefit of public health.
The FACTS
THR is an evidence-based public health strategy intended to reduce the health impacts of using combustible tobacco products. One of the main tenets of THR is the need to make smokeless products available to adult tobacco consumers. Smokeless products are generally organized into four broad categories:
- Vapor
- Oral tobacco
- Nicotine pouches
- Heated Tobacco Products
The foundation of THR is that smokeless tobacco and nicotine products potentially present lower health risks than cigarettes. No tobacco product is safe and nicotine is addictive. The best choice any adult smoker can make will always be quitting tobacco products completely. But with almost 30 million adult smokers in the U.S., there is an opportunity to offer adult smokers who do not wish to quit tobacco and nicotine products altogether evidence-based, innovative smokeless product choices that are potentially less risky than traditional combustible cigarettes.
Additionally, the Reynolds American organization is committed to preventing those under 21 from accessing our products and marketing. Underage access prevention (UAP) is critically important across all areas of our business.
We do not want our products in the hands of underage individuals. Period. We remain committed to operating responsibly and working collaboratively with regulators, policymakers, and retail partners.
As part of our vision for “A Better Tomorrow™,” we aim to establish high standards in the industry as we work to offer a broad portfolio of tobacco and nicotine products to meet adult tobacco and nicotine consumer preferences. Using third-party data and technology, we consistently work to improve our tools to help prevent underage access.
Through contractual agreements with retailers, retailers are required to implement and monitor age restrictions on the sale of tobacco and nicotine products by conducting age verification at point-of-sale to verify that sales occur only to those of legal age.