Big Tobacco turns to rooibos tea to counter upcoming ban

[hollydolly]

Big Tobacco firms including British American Tobacco (BATS.L) are selling heat sticks made from nicotine-infused substances such as rooibos tea, countering an incoming European Union ban on flavoured heated tobacco products.

While the sticks mark a new way to inhale the addictive drug, health experts warn that their safety is unclear.

The industry has produced "heat-not-burn" sticks containing tobacco for years, aiming to avoid the toxic chemicals released via combustion.


These "reduced risk" products, which are placed in a device to heat them, have helped offset falling demand for traditional cigarettes due to rising health awareness and heavy taxation in some markets.

British American Tobacco (BAT) (BATS.L) has now gone a step further, launching a version of its sticks containing nicotine-infused Rooibos tea instead of tobacco in nine European markets, including Germany and Greece. The company plans to roll the product out globally, it told Reuters.


The move provides "adult nicotine users and smokers with the widest possible range of reduced-risk products," BAT said in a statement.

There may, however, be as yet unknown risks associated with inhaling the tea, researchers warned.

"Anything that burns or is vaporised... and inhaled into the lungs, probably will cause some effects," said Erikas Simonavicius, a research associate at King's College London.


Tobacco companies have yet to publish any research showing the health implications of rooibos or other zero-tobacco sticks, Simonavicius added.

BAT, the first big tobacco player to say what its zero-tobacco sticks are made from, declined to say whether it had conducted such research.

Rival Philip Morris International (PMI) will start rolling out a zero-tobacco stick later this year, it said during an investor day in September.


It declined to tell Reuters what the product is made from, or to comment on its health implications.

PMI (PM.N) CEO Jacek Olczak told shareholders that its zero-tobacco sticks could avoid the regulatory scrutiny that tobacco products face.

BAT's zero-tobacco sticks are not subject to current EU tobacco rules, the company told Reuters.

Big Tobacco turns to rooibos tea to counter upcoming ban

Do you smoke cigarettes or Vape ?.. will you be trying these heat sticks ?

 

[MarciKS]

The vapes use an oily substance that sticks to your lungs and can cause Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. It basically smothers the lungs. After I quit smoking there was a time I wanted to start again and I decided to vape instead. Non nicotine liquid. That stuff made it even harder to breathe and after seeing how it coated the windshield in the van and how hard it was to clean off I decided to leave it.

With no information going in about how inhaling the tea will affect the lungs, I don't think it would be wise.

 

[VaughanJB]

I would suggest that breathing smoke or vapor into your lungs for entertainment is probably a bad idea. It's a bit like poking yourself in the eye in the belief that if you don't push the finger in too far, it's probably not going to harm you long term.

I've never been a smoker, so easy for me to say. I've agreed with some laws that have been brought in (age limits to who can buy them and banning them in some public places and restaurants), and not others (pubs seemed better and more relaxed when smoking was allowed). Either way, even BAT state these items are "Reduced Risk", and not zero risk.

I feel sorry for smokers who'd like to quit, it's apparently a heck of a drug. But I doubt many smokers from back in the day, when they first announced a ban was coming, would have been excited being told: "but don't worry, we've got some fruit flavored vapor on the way."


EDIT: I know a guy who buys nicotine in a bottle from China. He adds it to the oils used in his vape. Where there's a will, there's a way...

 

[hollydolly]

The vapes use an oily substance that sticks to your lungs and can cause Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. It basically smothers the lungs. After I quit smoking there was a time I wanted to start again and I decided to vape instead. Non nicotine liquid. That stuff made it even harder to breathe and after seeing how it coated the windshield in the van and how hard it was to clean off I decided to leave it.

With no information going in about how inhaling the tea will affect the lungs, I don't think it would be wise.

perhaps it was what they replaced the nicotine with that caused the damage..

My husband used to be a heavy smoker, and he had the cough from hell... he started vaping instead about 7 years ago ( flavoured nicotine not tar).. he's never had a cough since.. and windows don't get coated in any gunk.....or maybe it's the quality..I know he buys good quality vaping juice..nothing from the £1 shop

 

[VaughanJB]

perhaps it was what they replaced the nicotine with that caused the damage..

My husband used to be a heavy smoker, and he had the cough from hell... he started vaping instead about 7 years ago ( flavoured nicotine not tar).. he's never had a cough since.. and windows don't get coated in any gunk.....or maybe it's the quality..I know he buys good quality vaping juice..nothing from the £1 shop

Oh, you'll still get the gunk on the window for heavy vapors. At least that's what I've observed.

I grew up in a house of smokers, I was the only one who didn't. Ceilings had to be painted every couple of years...!!

 

[hollydolly]

Oh, you'll still get the gunk on the window for heavy vapors. At least that's what I've observed.

I grew up in a house of smokers, I was the only one who didn't. Ceilings had to be painted every couple of years...!!

Not talking about cigarette smoke...I'm talking about Vaping liquid. Since my husband started smoking that..there's never been evidence of any discolouring or smearing on anything...

 

[VaughanJB]

Not talking about cigarette smoke...I'm talking about Vaping liquid. Since my husband started smoking that..there's never been evidence of any discolouring or smearing on anything...

Yeah, I know you're talking vaping. Heavy use will cause a film to develop.

 

[hollydolly]

Yeah, I know you're talking vaping. Heavy use will cause a film to develop.

My husband chain Vapes... seriously...he's been doing it for the better part of 7 years or more, there's never been any evidence of film or anything..

 

[VaughanJB]

My husband chain Vapes... seriously...he's been doing it for the better part of 7 years or more, there's never been any evidence of film or anything..

It's the flavoring and nicotine that does it. Obviously, most of what is exhaled is water. As such, I guess it will depend on the brand. Also, as I stated, the guy I know adds nicotine, no doubt making it worse....

 

[MarciKS]

Holly you ever feel his vape juice? The stuff is oily. I don't see how that alone wouldn't do some sort of damage. It's like inhaling cooking oil. I'm glad his cough has settled down. Quitting smoking is very hard to do.

 

[VaughanJB]

Holly you ever feel his vape juice? The stuff is oily. I don't see how that alone wouldn't do some sort of damage. It's like inhaling cooking oil. I'm glad his cough has settled down. Quitting smoking is very hard to do.

I should have said, I'm glad he gave up tobacco. I think what we're highlighting here is that vaping is less damaging than cigarettes. My wife smokes, and always has done. But she never smokes in the same room as me. This is, of course, only partially effective in ensuring I don't get affected by second hand smoke. I've got my sins, thank goodness smoking was never one of them.

 

[hollydolly]

Holly you ever feel his vape juice? The stuff is oily. I don't see how that alone wouldn't do some sort of damage. It's like inhaling cooking oil. I'm glad his cough has settled down. Quitting smoking is very hard to do.

No I never have . It's actually amazing how his serious hacking cough just disappeared within a very short time of changing to Vaping...and he explained to me how it's the tar in cigarettes which cause all the problems

 

[VaughanJB]

No I never have . It's actually amazing how his serious hacking cough just disappeared within a very short time of changing to Vaping...and he explained to me how it's the tar in cigarettes which cause all the problems

Ironically, one of the treatments for smokers cough used to through steam! So vaping no doubt helped.

 

[hearlady]

Do you smoke cigarettes or Vape ?.. will you be trying these heat sticks ?

No! That would be getting one monkey off my back only to let his little brother back on!

 

[fuzzybuddy]

Duh!! I didn't even know what a "heat stick' was- I'm not exactly a hep cat. I think heat sticks are a way for a dying addictive business to hang on to as many addicts as they can. When you think of all the health conscience industries in the world, the tobacco industry does not have a stellar reputation.
I quit smoking decades ago, but I could start up again this afternoon- that's the power of addiction.