As much as we value and believe in freedom of choice for adults, we also recognize the importance of making informed decisions. We know we must play our part in ensuring all consumers of our tobacco and other nicotine-containing products understand the associated risks when making the decision to use them or not.
That’s why we’re open about our positions on smoking, nicotine product use and health, and why we consistently adhere to our six core principles in all markets where we do business.
Openness about the risks of smoking
Smoking is a cause of serious disease including lung cancer, coronary heart disease, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. JTI supports efforts to advise smokers accordingly. Everyone should be appropriately informed about the health risks of smoking.
Reduced-Risk Products
We believe products that do not involve combustion and do not produce tobacco smoke are products with the potential to reduce the risks associated with smoking. At the same time, JTI acknowledges that these products are not risk-free and that more research is needed to understand their long-term health effects.
We are committed to developing and bringing to market Reduced-Risk Products that meet consumer expectations. We will help adult consumers to make informed choices by providing factual information acquired through scientific assessment about the products they may wish to use.
Transparency about our products
Our adult consumers want to know what ingredients are inside their products. JTI provides information on a voluntary basis on its websites. JTI also provides product information to governments, as required by law, but asks that its trade secrets are respected and protected.
Youth access prevention
Minors should not use or have access to tobacco or other nicotine-containing products. This belief is central to JTI’s Code of Conduct, and marketing practices, operational policies and the way JTI does business. JTI is committed to playing its full part in youth access prevention, but ultimately success depends on all elements of society working together.
Accommodating smokers and non-smokers
Many people have concerns about exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. All smokers should show consideration for those around them and should not smoke when children are present. JTI advocates tailored, practical and effective solutions that separate smokers and non-smokers while accommodating the legitimate interests of both. Further to this, we are committed to developing and bringing to market Reduced-Risk Products that also have the potential to reduce the impact of smoking to others.
Respects for local norms and cultures
JTI is respectful of each country’s culture, norms, legislation and decision-making process. However, JTI has a right – and an obligation – to express its point of view regarding regulation that affects its products and the tobacco industry. JTI actively seeks open and transparent dialogue with governmental authorities around the world, and where possible, offers alternative solutions if issue is taken with a government’s proposed course of action.
Smoking and health
JTI recognizes that cigarettes are a legal but controversial product. People smoke for pleasure but there are real risks that come with that pleasure. Accordingly, JTI believes that tobacco products should be appropriately regulated.
JTI also believes in the freedom of adults to choose whether they want to smoke and that no one should smoke unless he or she understands the risks of doing so. These risks distinguish tobacco from most consumer goods and they place upon the industry a real responsibility. It's a responsibility for which JTI expects to be held accountable, together with governments and the rest of society.
Active smoking
Smoking is a cause of serious diseases including lung cancer, coronary heart disease, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
This conclusion has been drawn from studies which, taken as a whole, show that smokers are at a greater risk of developing these diseases compared to non-smokers and that stopping smoking reduces this risk over time.
While smoking is a cause of these diseases among smokers, there are other risk factors for the individual smoker, including lifestyle, occupation, environment and genetic pre-disposition. All relevant risk factors need to be taken into consideration when investigating the cause or causes of a disease in any smoker.
If you want to avoid the risks of smoking, you should not smoke.
External links:
World Health Organization
U.S. Surgeon General ReportInternational
Agency for Research on Cancer (R)
Addiction
Many smokers report difficulty quitting smoking. The reasons they offer vary. Some say they miss the pleasure they derive from smoking. Others complain of feeling irritable or anxious. Others speak simply of the difficulty of breaking a well-ingrained habit. Given the way in which many people – including smokers – use the term ‘addiction’, smoking is addictive.
But no matter how smoking is described, people can stop smoking if they are determined to do so. No one should believe that they are so attached or ‘addicted’ to smoking that they cannot quit.
Over the past decades, millions of people – all over the world – have given up smoking. Most have done so by themselves. Recent studies have shown that the majority of ex-smokers have quit without treatment programs or other assistance1. Other former smokers have used the many smoking cessation products or programs that are available.
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1Chapman, R., MacKenzie, S., The Global Research Neglect of Unassisted Smoking Cessation: Causes and Consequences, PLoS (Public Library of Science) Medicine, 2010.
Environmental tobacco smoke
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS – also known as second-hand smoke) is a mixture of the smoke that drifts from the burning end of a cigarette between puffs and the exhaled smoke from smokers nearby.
In poorly ventilated areas, ETS can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. It may also worsen childhood respiratory tract infections, as well as some childhood respiratory conditions such as asthma. Furthermore, a number of studies have linked ETS with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Based on the current science, JTI does not believe the claim has been proven that ETS is a cause of diseases such as lung cancer, coronary heart disease, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. See Active Smoking.
Many people have concerns about exposure to ETS. All smokers should show consideration for those around them. JTI strongly advises against smoking when children are present.
JTI promotes practical and effective solutions, such as separate smoking and non-smoking areas, which accommodate the legitimate interests of smokers and non-smokers.
External links:
World Health Organization
U.S. Surgeon General ReportInternational
Agency for Research on Cancer (R)
Nicotine
What is nicotine?
Nicotine is a chemical compound that occurs naturally in tobacco. It is produced in the tobacco root and accumulates in the leaves of the plant.
What does nicotine do in the body?
Nicotine mimics one of the natural chemical messengers that cells in the human body use to communicate with each other. These cells are found in the brain, the nervous system, the heart and muscles.
When inhaled into the lungs, nicotine enters the blood stream and is quickly distributed in the body, reaching the brain in about 10 to 20 seconds. Once it does so, it binds to specific brain receptors causing the release of dopamine, a chemical messenger. Dopamine plays an important role in inducing pleasure and reducing stress.
Nicotine does not remain in the body for long. One or two hours after inhalation, nicotine in the blood drops to around half of its initial concentration.
Nicotine can cause short-term effects such as increased blood pressure, rapid heart rate, and dizziness.
Is nicotine the cause of lung cancer and other smoking-related diseases?
No. Nicotine does not cause lung cancer. The scientific evidence indicates that nicotine is not a carcinogen in humans and that nicotine exposure does not increase the risk of developing cancer in humans. The risks of smoking-related diseases arise from other chemicals in tobacco smoke, which are by-products of the burning of tobacco.
Nicotine is addictive. At high levels, it is also toxic but not at the levels typically obtained by using tobacco products and e-cigarettes.
E-cigarettes that contain nicotine and heated tobacco products are alternatives to cigarettes for adult smokers. They can provide a satisfying experience similar to smoking, while reducing exposure to harmful substances in cigarette smoke. While health risks cannot be completely eliminated, these products have the potential to reduce the health risks associated with smoking.
We offer a variety of e-cigarette products for adult smokers and vapers that can provide an experience as satisfying as smoking traditional cigarettes. We believe that any regulatory limits on nicotine levels in e-liquids should not prevent consumers from obtaining levels of nicotine that are as satisfying as those from smoking or heated-tobacco product use.
Nicotine delivery from e-cigarettes is dependent on e-liquid composition, user behavior and device characteristics and therefore the amount of nicotine in an e-liquid does not necessarily reflect the amount of nicotine in the vapor that an e-cigarette user inhales.
Nevertheless, several regulatory bodies have implemented a limit on nicotine levels in e-liquids. For example, in the EU, e-liquids may not contain nicotine more than 20 mg/ml. Key scientists in the field of tobacco and e-cigarettes have criticized the 20 mg/ml limit for nicotine as too low to match the nicotine delivery from cigarettes and a disproportionate approach to the risks and benefits offered by vapor products.
We agree with this opinion, but strongly believe that effective safeguards must be in place to prevent youth access to all products containing nicotine. All nicotine containing products are intended solely for adult consumers. We also strongly believe that clear and conspicuous warnings about nicotine levels in e-cigarettes must be visible to consumers before they use the product. Additional information about any e-liquid constituents, such as nicotine salts, that may affect the amount of nicotine inhaled should also be provided to adult smokers before they use the product.
We closely monitor scientific and regulatory developments in this area and continue to contribute to the development of e-cigarette product standards.
Depending on the chemical environment, nicotine exists in different forms. It can combine with other substances forming nicotine salts or it can exist in a form that does not combine with other substances. In this form, it is referred to as nicotine base or freebase nicotine. In tobacco, most of the nicotine occurs as nicotine salt.
E-liquids can contain either salt or base forms of nicotine or a mixture of the two. In fact, to date, most e-liquids contain nicotine in both forms. Recently, e-liquids marketed as containing nicotine salts have become popular. Common types of nicotine salts used in e-liquids are nicotine benzoate and nicotine lactate.
E-liquids containing nicotine salts can provide a sensorial experience that some adult consumers perceive as more enjoyable and satisfying versus vaping liquids without nicotine salts. As with various levels of nicotine, we offer both nicotine salt and nicotine base e-liquids to meet different consumer sensory preferences.
Scientific studies conducted on nicotine absorption from cigarette smoke indicate that nicotine absorption in the lung occurs at a constant rate due to the natural condition of the lung, irrespective of the form of nicotine, salt or base. As a result, it is unlikely that nicotine absorption in the lungs is facilitated by the form of nicotine in e-liquids or e-cigarette vapor.
Based on limited scientific data, some have suggested recently that compared to nicotine base, nicotine salt is less likely to evaporate from the microscopic liquid droplets in e-cigarette vapor. If true, this could influence how much nicotine reaches the lungs. Nevertheless, the detailed mechanisms and science of nicotine absorption in vapers are not fully understood and further experimental studies are needed.
Reduced-Risk Products (RRP)
The JT Group has a long history of developing products with the potential to reduce the health risks associated with smoking.
Over the past few years, many adult smokers have chosen to use such products, in particular electronic cigarettes which numerous public health bodies have actively endorsed for their reduced-risk potential.
JTI develops both electronic cigarettes and non-combusted tobacco products, such as heated tobacco products and snus, that dramatically reduce exposure to known harmful constituents in tobacco smoke and that we believe have the potential to lower the health risks of smoking.
We at JTI are committed to:
- bringing outstanding RRP to market as additional choices for existing adult smokers; and
- providing information to adult smokers about the potential health benefits associated with these new products.
JTI is currently conducting studies to evaluate scientifically its RRP. These include chemical and toxicological analyses of product emissions as well as human clinical studies. Results of our studies are available to the public on our science web page at JT-Science.com. JTI is also committed to presenting its data at scientific conferences and publishing in peer-reviewed scientific literature.
We strongly believe that public health bodies, regulatory authorities, the scientific community and the tobacco industry should collaborate to develop policies that will give consumers access to and information about all RRP. We look forward to offering these exciting new products, with all of the real benefits that we believe that they present, to the adult smoking population.
Snus
Snus is an oral smokeless tobacco product traditionally manufactured in Sweden.
There is no safe tobacco product and snus, like other tobacco products, poses risks to health. But compared to many other tobacco products currently available, scientific evidence strongly suggests that the consumption of snus is less hazardous to health.
However, not every country currently allows snus to be sold.
JTI therefore believes that:
- Adult consumers who choose to use snus should, once appropriately informed about the health risks, have the opportunity to do so;
- Governments should allow snus and other smokeless tobacco products to be sold, subject to proportionate regulation – including to prevent them from being used by minors.
JTI does not make any health claims about snus in its marketing. JTI does not market snus, or any other tobacco product, to minors or to non-users of tobacco products.
TNCO pack prints
Tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide (TNCO) pack prints
Tobacco smoke is a complex mixture and consists of both particulate and gas phases. The particulate phase is comprised of tar, nicotine and water. The gas phase includes carbon monoxide.
The amounts of tar , nicotine and carbon monoxide (TNCO) produced by a cigarette vary from product to product and depend on how it is smoked. In many countries, legislation requires TNCO smoke yields to be printed on cigarette packs.
To determine these TNCO yields, cigarettes are smoked in specially designed machines and the smoke tested for these components, and others, in accordance with validated methods, such as those developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
JTI believes that TNCO pack prints can be informative to consumers, allowing them to compare machine-derived TNCO yields between products and to select specific products according to their preference.
However, TNCO pack prints do not, and were never intended to, indicate the levels of tar, nicotine or carbon monoxide that an individual smoker will inhale. The amount of smoke an individual smoker takes in depends on the way he or she smokes as well as the type of cigarette.
There is no safe cigarette. Products with lower TNCO pack prints compared to other products are not necessarily any less harmful for the individual smoker.
Tobacco products carry risks to health. These risks distinguish tobacco from most consumer goods and they place upon the industry a real responsibility. It's a responsibility for which JTI expects to be held accountable, together with governments and the rest of society.
JTI therefore supports the implementation of practical, effective and proportionate regulation which governs the marketing of tobacco products, while preserving JTI's right to communicate with adults who use those products.
However, whatever the level of regulation that applies to its marketing activities, JTI is committed to its five Global Marketing Principles to ensure there is a responsible and consistent approach to how it markets its combustible tobacco products and its Reduced-Risk Products to existing adult consumers of these products.
Abiding by these Principles also ensures that JTI’s reputation is safeguarded while assuring that its marketing practices support the sustainability of the business.
Our Global Marketing Principles are as follow:
We only market our products to existing adult consumers of combustible tobacco products and RRPs.
We market our products honestly and using accurate information.
All existing adult consumers of combustible tobacco products should be reminded about the health risks associated with these products.
All existing adult consumers of our RRPs should be informed that they have the potential to reduce the risks associated with smoking, though they are not risk free.
We comply with all laws and regulations.
Some examples of how we apply these principles in practice are set out below.
JTI is committed to youth smoking prevention and participates with other tobacco companies and retail associations in ongoing programs to prevent minors from obtaining tobacco products.
Age verification is an important element of every marketing program through which JTI is in direct contact with consumers of tobacco products in order to advertise or promote its brands:
- Age verification is required when JTI is in face-to-face contact with consumers of tobacco products or when JTI is in remote contact with such consumers, for example, through dedicated JTI brand websites;
- Age verification must be completed before a consumer of tobacco products is exposed to any advertising or promotional content or product samples.
Examples of age verification methods include visual inspection, inspection of government-issued proof of identity bearing a date of birth and a photograph and a conclusion by a reliable third-party provider of verification services that the personal identifying information is not falsified.
JTI advertising and promotion in any medium or advertising channel is directed only toward existing adult users of tobacco products. For example, JTI does not:
- Use imagery or fonts which appeal to minors, feature or mention celebrities, or depict anyone who is under 25 years old, appears to be under 25 years old, or is presented as being under 25 years old;
- Imply that smoking contributes to sporting or athletic success, sexual success or to social or professional success;
- In principle, advertise its tobacco products and tobacco brands on television, radio or in cinemas;
- Advertise in printed publications distributed to the general public unless there is reliable, third-party data establishing that at least 75% of the publication’s readers are adult and the number of minors who read it constitutes less than 10% of all minors in the country of circulation;
- Permit, pay to or accept payment from third parties for the placement of products, advertisements, or branded objects in any mass medium entertainment produced by a third party and intended for the public such as motion pictures, television programs, theatrical productions, live or recorded music, video games, or internet postings, such as videos and blogs;
- Contribute to or sponsor events or activities to promote a brand to consumers unless the event has no particular appeal to minors and at least 75% of the attendees or audience is adult;
- Place advertisements, brand names, brand logos, or brand elements on objects particularly marketed to or used by minors, including without limitation toys and clothing in child sizes.
JTI denies minors access to advertising and promotional material in advertising channels or media wherever it is possible to do so. JTI excludes minors and non-users of tobacco products from participation in promotional offers and programs wherever this is permitted by law.
JTI only sends direct mail, email and text messaging and only grants access to advertising and promotion content on dedicated JTI brand or other publicly accessible websites to consumers who:
- Provide information which allows JTI to verify that they are adults who live in the market targeted by the website, direct mail, email or text message;
- Are current users of tobacco products;
- Agree to the terms and conditions set out by JTI before access to the website is granted, or agree to receive branded direct mail, email or text messages from JTI.
JTI provides verified adult consumers of tobacco products with an option to decline further access at any time and respects their choice. Similarly, they have the option of declining further receipt of branded direct mail, email or text messages. JTI also excludes minors and non-users of tobacco products when it may legally do so.
JTI distributes solicited product samples only where this is permitted by law and only to adult consumers of tobacco products whose age has been verified. JTI provides product samples and products in exchange for competitors' products in person only to existing adult consumers of tobacco products whose age has been verified. JTI does not distribute unsolicited product samples by mail.
JTI employees or agents engaged in sampling or providing products in exchange for competitors’ products must themselves be adults.
JTI does not conduct market research involving or in relation to minors. JTI has no interest in information about minors’ consumption of tobacco products. JTI does not market tobacco products to minors.
JTI places health warnings on all packaging of cigarettes and other tobacco products for retail sale, even if it is not required to do so by law.
JTI also puts clearly visible health warnings on all advertising and promotional materials except, where permitted by law, on:
- Advertising smaller than 250 cm² used on any surface at point of sale; and
- Promotional items where advertising, brand elements and brand logos cover less than 25 cm².
JTI makes no health claims, relative or absolute, express or implied, for its products.
Product claims relating to the design, composition, smoking characteristics, packaging or other aspects of JTI’s tobacco products and tobacco brands must be substantiated by scientific, technical or consumer research.
For more information regarding the core principles which define JTI's attitude toward smoking see Our Principles at the top of this page.