Skip to main content

ESG

Improving Public Health

Turning Point Brands’ vision is to provide adult consumers with a broad portfolio of high-quality products with a directed focus toward those products with the potential to improve public health.

Commitment

our commitment image

Turning Point Brands is committed to creating a responsible and sustainable marketplace of high-quality choices of nicotine, cannabinoid, and other consumer products, with a focus on those that deliver satisfaction to adult consumers through delivery mechanisms with a lower risk profile than other options. Our goal of improving public health will only become a reality if we simultaneously are able to prevent youth from initiating with our products. As a seller of products intended for adult-use only, society demands a higher burden of responsibility from us, and we are committed to being proactive in order to prevent under-age appeal of, and access to, our products. We believe in, and work diligently to apply harm reduction principles to all of our products, from development through distribution. We source high-quality ingredients and implement robust manufacturing controls to ensure we provide consumers with superior products.

How will we accomplish our vision?

Turning Point Brands’ vision is built upon the idea that adult consumers, when presented with responsibly marketed and high-quality options, will in large part prefer products with a lower risk profile than others. This idea of moving adult consumers down the continuum of risk is a key driver of our Company’s future for sustainable growth. We intend to accomplish this by:

  • Developing low-risk alternatives according to good product stewardship and manufacturing principles in order to increase adult consumer availability of and access to high-quality products that deliver satisfaction but at a lower risk to the user.
  • Implementing responsible marketing practices to ensure our products do not appeal to minors, while encouraging strong retail access controls to prevent underage access.
  • Advocating for fact-based information on the relative risks of different product options for adult consumers as we believe adult consumers should be able to make an informed choice about the risk associated with the products they purchase.
  • Working with key stakeholders to increase the understanding of the opportunity for lower risk products to further the goal of improving public health.
  • Encouraging the scientific community to develop robust and rigorous studies regarding lower risk products in order to advance the goal of providing better information for adult consumers.

Portfolio Strategy

Turning Point Brands provides a range of products that deliver nicotine to consumers through several different formats. Our nicotine smokeless portfolio consists of moist snuff, chewing tobacco, tobacco-free nicotine pouches and vapor products. A major focus of our research and development efforts and capital expenditures are dedicated to smokeless products. Currently, our Stoker’s and NewGen Products Segments, composed of smokeless nicotine and non-nicotine products, account for 67 percent of total Turning Point Brands sales. Our goal is for these segments to continue to grow.

In addition, our NewGen Products Segment is focused on providing adult consumers with other products that contain active ingredients. We recognize that our experience in nicotine products can be applied to other active ingredient products consumers want, such as cannabinoids. Our ability to apply our scientific and consumer knowledge to this vast array of other products allows the consumer to acquire these type of products from a responsible company.

Developing low-risk alternatives according to good product stewardship and manufacturing principles in order to increase adult consumer availability and access to high quality, lower risk products is the center of our approach to product development. In the area of nicotine, we strive to develop products that appeal to cigarette consumers while applying risk reduction principles and the continuum of risk.

The foundation for our research and development efforts are quality and consistency. We have a strong science team with many years of experience that focuses on these efforts. All of our reduced risk work recognizes the importance of flavors to the adult consumer, particularly the adult cigarette consumer looking for lower risk alternatives.

products and science image

Products and science

Turning Point Brands initiates limited scientific studies, but continually reviews and monitors scientific advancements. We are committed to working with the scientific community to develop robust and rigorous studies regarding lower risk products in support of public health initiatives.

Access to our products

To encourage consumers to switch to reduced risk alternatives, accessibility is essential. Turning Point Brands is committed to investing in maintaining adult consumer access to our products in both the markets we currently source and markets where we have an opportunity to expand our portfolio presence.

Access to fact-based information

Adult consumers are seeking and have a right to factual information about the product options available to them. We will communicate information about the risk profile of our products only where and how we are legally allowed to do so. We engage with other stakeholders to provide factual information about the relative risk of different tobacco products and encourage legislatures and regulators to view and regulate tobacco products differently based on their risk profile. We are actively engaged with both regulators and legislators with the goal of providing fact-based information about our product categories to better inform policymaking. We only develop, market, and sell adult products.

2020 Highlights

In September of 2020, Turning Point Brands submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Premarket Tobacco Applications (“PMTAs”) covering 250 products. This is an important and necessary step for TPB to offer adult consumers an extensive portfolio of products that serve as alternatives to combustible cigarettes and satisfy a wide variety of consumer preferences. The PMTAs cover a broad assortment of products in the vapor category including multiple proprietary e-liquid offerings in varying nicotine strengths, technologies and sizes; proprietary replacement parts and components of open system tank devices through partnerships with two leading manufacturers for exclusive distribution of products in the United States; and a closed system e-cigarette. The filings provide detailed scientific data to demonstrate that the products are “appropriate for the protection of public health,” as required by law. Studies to support the applications were performed and include pharmacokinetics studies, a likelihood of use study, and a patterns of use study, in addition to a toxicological review. Data throughout the applications underline that TPB products do not appeal to never users, youth, or former users; that an extremely small percentage of users are never users, youth, or former users; that a significant majority of users have completely ceased use of combustible cigarettes; that a low percentage of users engage in dual or poly use; and that the products are substantially less harmful than combustible cigarettes and comparable to other products in the vapor category. TPB also provided a detailed marketing plan to illustrate how it will continue to prevent youth exposure to the products.

In 2020, TPB launched our new white pouch brand FRĒ in limited markets. This product is free from tobacco and represents another addition to our portfolio of smokeless product offerings.

Moving forward

  • Expanding our current portfolio to better serve adult consumers
  • Continuing to advocate for fact-based information on the relative risks of different product options for adult consumers
  • Continuing our work with key stakeholders to increase the understanding of the opportunity for lower risk products to further the goal of improving public health.
  • Developing and commercializing high-quality choices in nicotine, cannabinoid, and other consumer products, with a focus on those that deliver satisfaction to adult consumers through delivery mechanisms with a lower risk profile than other options.
  • Continuing to focus our efforts on responsible marketing practices to ensure our products do not appeal to minors, while encouraging strong retail access controls to prevent underage access.
  • Continuing to work with the scientific community to develop robust and rigorous studies regarding lower risk products in order to advance the goal of providing better information for adult consumers.