BAT Executive: Company’s Smokeless Products Outperform Cigarettes in Japan and UK, Over 70% Share in Sweden

Sep.01

James Murphy, Director of Research at British American Tobacco (BAT), said in a podcast that the company is accelerating its transition to smoke-free products, with sales in Japan and the UK already surpassing cigarettes, and a share of over 70% in Sweden.

On August 29, 2025, British American Tobacco (BAT) released the latest episode of their podcast "The Smokeless World" on YouTube. 2Firsts summarized the content of the show.

BAT’s Director of Science and Research, James Murphy, stated that the company is currently at a crucial stage of transitioning from combustion cigarettes to smokeless products, and they anticipate gradually ceasing cigarette sales in some markets in the future.

Murphy pointed out that BAT had invested heavily in research and development of "safer cigarettes" in the 2000s, but clinical trials showed that disease-related biomarkers did not improve. This ultimately forced the company to shift its focus to the development of smoke-free products. Today, BAT's sales of smoke-free products in Japan and the UK have exceeded those of cigarettes, with this ratio being over 70% in Sweden.

He highlighted the experience of Swedish Snus: the local adult smoking rate is only 5.4%, the lowest in the world, close to the World Health Organization's "smoke-free society" standard of 5%. At the same time, smoking-related diseases in Sweden are at their lowest levels in the European Union. Murphy said that if the EU as a whole adopts a similar model, it could potentially save 3.5 million lives in the next decade.

In the field of scientific communication, BAT has launched OMNI™, a database compiling 170,000 words and featuring research findings from over 300 scientists. The reference volume from this dataset is twice that of internal research at the company, positioning it as an "evidence platform for harm reduction in tobacco." It has already been launched in 15 markets including Japan and Germany.

Murphy stated that the company's goal is to normalize harm reduction in tobacco, but the path to achieving this will vary depending on the market. He bluntly said, "There will be a future market where BAT no longer sells cigarettes, but this will be a gradual process.

Caption: James Murphy (right) is in conversation with the host | Image source: BAT

References:

[1] The Smokeless Word - Episode 4 - Dr James Murphy

Also Read:

[1] BAT CFO Transition: Soraya Benchikh Steps Down, Digital & Information Director Javed Iqbal to Serve as Interim Successor

[2] Reuters: BAT to Launch Synthetic Nicotine Vape Vuse One in U.S., Hitting Shelves in Three States from Late September

[3] BAT France: France’s Ban on Nicotine Pouches Could Undermine EU Harmonization and Public Health Goals

[4] BAT Questions South Africa’s New Bill: Lack of Distinction Between Cigarettes and E-Cigarettes, Excessive Powers Pose Governance Risks

[5] BAT launches two glo HYPER “neo” sticks in South Korea, highlighting tropical flavors

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