April 26, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] British American Tobacco’s Korean subsidiary released a clinical study which indicated that a smoker who switched from conventional cigarettes to glo -- the company’s heat-not-burn device -- was less exposed to harmful chemicals.

According to the company, scientists from BAT’s Reduced Risk Substantiation team conducted a clinical study and the results showed that toxicant levels in heated tobacco vapor from glo were 90 to 95 percent less than smoke from a normal cigarette. 

Glo is a tobacco heating product designed to heat rather than burn tobacco. It does not produce smoke and certain toxicants associated with tobacco combustion are substantially reduced, according to BAT.

Glo was launched in August 2017 to compete with its rival Iqos by Philip Morris.

The clinical study results also showed that the concentration of certain chemicals that the World Health Organization designated as harmful chemicals such as 1,3-butadiene, benzene and ethylene oxide in the urine was reduced among smokers who switched to glo.

In some cases, these reductions among tobacco-burning groups were similar to levels of toxicants measured after those who quit smoking, the company said.

The study was conducted on 180 smokers over an eight-day period in Japan, where glo demand is extremely high, the firm added. Urine, blood and breath samples were collected.

“These results are very encouraging and the next step will be to determine whether this reduction in exposure translates to a reduced biological effect, and in turn a reduction in adverse health effects for those smokers who switch completely to glo, said Dr. James Murphy, head of the Reduced Risk Substantiation team at BAT.

The results were also announced at an annual conference of the Society for Nicotine and Tobacco Research in Baltimore, the US.

According to tobacco makers, heat-not-burn e-cigarettes that comprise a tobacco holder and a recharger do not produce harmful smoke because they heat, not burn. In these devices, tobacco sticks are heated to generate a vapor that contains nicotine.

Demand for heat-not-burn devices has increased significantly here with local tobacco maker KT&G joining the race with its launch of Lil in November 2017. 

By Kim Da-sol/The Korea Herald (ddd@heraldcorp.com)