After Its Own Sales Rose, BAT CEO Again Calls for Stronger Vaping Regulation

British American Tobacco's new CEO, Tadeu Marroco, recently stated in an interview with the Financial Times that he hopes the government will implement "better regulation" for tobacco alternatives such as e-cigarettes. He emphasized that while e-cigarettes help people quit smoking, the lack of regulation has led to issues of youth usage and environmental pollution.

Tadeu Marroco stated that the company has been careful in selecting the colors and flavors of e-cigarettes to target adult consumers. At the same time, the company trains retailers to ensure they do not sell products to consumers under 18. In fact, this is not the first time British American Tobacco has called for stronger regulation.

However, his statement has not been universally accepted. Hazel Cheeseman, Deputy CEO of Action on Smoking and Health, expressed skepticism about British American Tobacco's call for regulation. She stated that, to her knowledge, they have not requested restrictions on product promotion or limitations on brand image.

Previously, it was mentioned in a tweet in March this year that British American Tobacco reported several Chinese brands for exceeding the allowable oil volume in disposable products. For British American Tobacco, the call for stronger regulation is largely related to its own disadvantage in the vaping market, especially in the disposable category.

For instance, regarding this incident, Panmure Gordon analyst Rae Maile believes that Marroco's push for regulation aims to ensure fair competition between British American Tobacco and its rivals, and refuted the claim that BAT and other major manufacturers are responsible for the youth vaping issue.

However, there are signs that this situation is changing. Recent financial reports from British American Tobacco show that revenue from "reduced-risk products" grew by 27% in the six months ending in June. Marroco stated that the company is "making steady progress" toward its goal of reaching 50 million customers in non-combustible products by 2030, currently at 24 million.