British American Tobacco Is Hoping To Rapidly Expand Its Vape Business

British American Tobacco, a big tobacco company behind such brands as Camel and Pall Mall, is hoping to more than double their sales in 2018.

To achieve this goal, they’re working on doubling the sales of what they call “new generation products” this year, raising the value of the vaping arm of their business to $1.3 billion, CNN Money reports. This includes such vaping products as electronic cigarettes, which are rapidly rising in popularity around the world – this despite increased regulation from governments.

News of their lofty goals for the present year come amid acknowledgement from the company that their traditional cigarette business is under renewed pressure around the planet, particularly in countries where governments are actively working towards the improvement of public health.

Could their business plans for the new year run into issues with regulators looking to clamp down on e-cig use?

In the United Kingdom, the government has actually gone as far as to endorse the using of vaping products for smokers looking to quit cigarettes. However, in some modern countries, the opposite is true – in no small part as a result of a World Health Organization recommendation that smoke-free areas be designated vape-free areas as well.

In Australia, it is illegal to buy nicotine vape products without a doctor’s prescription. In the U.S., the city of San Francisco has banned the sale of flavored e-juices within their city limits. And in Taiwan, the government is moving towards an amendment to their Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act which would effectively ban vaping in the Southeast Asian country in its entirety.

That said, British American Tobacco has no shortage of regulatory hurdles in its quest to double the size of its vaping business this year.