BAT and ANPC:
Zero tolerance for selling nicotine products to minors

As no minor should have access to nicotine products, ANPC provides consumers with the telephone number 021/9551 – Consumer`s phone, where anyone can report the law violation. According to the recently modified legislation, ANPC may apply fines up to 20,000 lei and closing down the commercial unit for those who sell nicotine products to persons under the age of 18.

In its 25 years in Romania, BAT has continuously developed awareness programs for the retailers and consumers, with the aim of increasing the awareness on the legal provisions, but also on the reasons why minors should not have access to nicotine products. BAT is developing a strong brands portofolio, in line with its industry transformation, by introducing reduced-risk products*. All products in the company’s portofolio, such as all nicotine products on the market, are intended exclusively for adult consumers. Also, once with the development of digital commerce the way we interact with consumers has evolved, but regardless of the communication and retail channels we use, the rules and the need for responsible practices remain the same.

This year, the legal framework has been ammended to include more severe sanctions for the sale of tobacco products to minors. According to the recent ammendments introduced by Law no. 64/2022 regarding the amendment and completion of Law no. 349/2002 for the prevention and combating of the effects of tobacco consumption to minors is sanctioned with a fine of 10,000 lei and with the complementary sanction of legal suspension of activity for 30 days at the first infringement. A new contravention of this law is sanctioned with a 20,000 lei fine and with the complementary measure of closure of the unit.

BAT is a leading, multi-category consumer goods business with a purpose to build A Better Tomorrow™ by reducing the health impact of its business through offering a greater choice of enjoyable and less risky products for adult consumers.

The company continues to be clear that combustible cigarettes pose serious health risks, and the only way to avoid these risks is not to start or to quit. BAT encourages those who would otherwise continue to smoke to switch completely to scientifically-substantiated, reduced-risk alternatives*†. In order to deliver this, BAT is transforming into a truly consumer-centric multi-category consumer products business.

BAT’s ambition is to have 50 million consumers of its non-combustible products by 2030 and to generate £5billion of New Categories revenue by 2025. BAT has set stretching ESG targets including achieving carbon neutrality for Scopes 1 & 2 by 2030 and eliminating unnecessary single-use plastic and making all plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

BAT employs over 53,000 people and operates in over 180 countries. The BAT Group generated revenue of £25.68 billion in 2021 and profit from operations of £10.2 billion.
The company’s Strategic Portfolio is made up of its global cigarette brands and a growing range of reduced risk* New Category tobacco and nicotine products and traditional non-combustible tobacco products. These include vapor, tobacco heating products, modern oral products including tobacco-free nicotine pouches, as well as traditional oral products such as snus and moist snuff. In 2021, we had 18.3 million consumers of our non-combustible products, a rise of 4.8 million on the year before.

* Based on the weight of evidence and assuming a complete switch from cigarette smoking. These products are not risk free and are addictive.