Global Tobacco Market
The global tobacco market including cigarettes, loose tobacco, chewing tobacco, cigars and cigarillos had a total retail value of $941 billion in 2023. This equates to approximately 5.8 billion cigarettes. Cigarettes equate to 85.2% of the overall market.
The market is dominated by 5 major global players: China National Tobacco Corporation, Phillip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco.
Worldwide between 80,000 and 100,000 kids start smoking everyday. (World Health Organization, December 2014)
Tobacco kills up to half of its users (World Health Organization, 2015)
Tobacco kills around 7 million people each year. (World Health Organization, 2015)
About 600,000 of these deaths are caused by second hand smoke
Remainder are the result of direct tobacco use. (World Health Organization, 2015)
Smoking Cessation Market
The global smoking cessation market including patches, sprays, gums, and pills have a retail value of $25 billion in 2023.
All the above products have an 85% relapse rate.
Currently there are 6 leading global brands in the smoking cessation category: Champix/Chantix (Varenicline) – Pfizer, NiQuitin/Nicabate/NicoDerm CQ (gums, lozenges and patches – GlaxoSmithKline, Nicolette (including inhalers and sprays (Johnson and Johnson), Nicotine (patches, gums and lozenges) – Novartis, Zyban (Bupropion) – GlaxoSmithKline and Tabex (alkaloid contained in the plant Citisus Laburnum L) – Sopharma AD
Seven main types of approved medications for smoking cessation
Nicotinell, NiQuitin, Nicorette and Zyban are well established but relapse rates are high (80%- 90%)
Some side effects have been reported amongst NRT users such as nasea, influenza-like symptoms and even abnormal hunger.
Other drug based cessation products have been developed such as Zyban which was originally designed as an anti-depressant drug, and Champix, both have been known significant side effects including suicidal tendencies.
It is public knowledge that a number of the competitor NRT Products are now out of patent protection and many generic products are and will be beginning to appear in the market place, all of which will be copies of the original brands, but not offering the smoking customer any new alternatives.
The recent introduction of electronic cigarettes was initially positioned as a product that provides harm reduction, however concerns surrounding the chemical composition of these products and their availability to minors has now become a major issue. Regulation of electronic cigarettes/vapes is about to become much more prevalent.