Research & development at British American Tobacco
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Ian Brown
Head of Group R & D
Welcome to Research & Development at British American Tobacco, where you will find an overview of our current research and development programmes, research data and recently published papers and posters.
Cigarette smoking is a cause of serious and fatal diseases, so our research and development activities are principally focused on better understanding the mechanisms of harm caused by tobacco use and on developing potentially less harmful products which address this issue. The science of tobacco harm reduction is complex, extremely challenging and spans many scientific disciplines. We have significantly expanded our research capabilities and expenditure over the past few years to reflect the importance we place on work in this area.
We welcome your comments on this website and are pleased to discuss our science or possible collaboration with other scientists working in related areas.
The concept of harm reduction
Harm reduction is a well-established public health concept that seeks pragmatic ways to minimise the health impact of an activity or behaviour which carries inherent risks.
An example of harm reduction strategy is the use of seat belts and airbags in cars.
However, in the context of tobacco and health policy, few governments currently support the development of reduced risk tobacco products. Most governments simply advocate prevention and cessation.
Harm reduction and tobacco
Today the concept of harm reduction is increasingly being considered in relation to tobacco use. In practice, an effective approach to tobacco harm reduction should result in a reduction in tobacco-related morbidity and mortality in the population while accepting widespread tobacco and nicotine use.
Regulatory policies based on prevention and cessation – discouraging people from starting to smoke and encouraging them to quit – have been and continue to be effective. That said, a sizable portion of the population continues to use tobacco products. Moreover, global population trends suggest that, although the proportion of adults who smoke is likely to continue declining, in 10 years’ time there will still be as many or more tobacco consumers globally as there are today.
The scientific research detailed on this site is our contribution to the development and scientific evaluation of novel tobacco products. This should be considered in the context of product regulation and harm reduction strategies and policies.