Australian influencers promote nicotine pouches to quit vaping
February 16, 2024
Par: National Committee Against Smoking
Dernière mise à jour: February 16, 2024
Temps de lecture: 5 minutes
A Guardian Australia investigation indicates that several Australian influencers are promoting nicotine pouches as tools to help people quit e-cigarettes. While these products are banned from sale in this country, influencers and tobacco companies deny any collaboration.
Placed between the gum and the lip, in the style of snus (tobacco pouches) with which they are often confused, nicotine pouches ("nicotine pouches") are among the emerging products actively promoted by the tobacco industry. These nicotine pouches contain either free-base nicotine (extracted from tobacco) or synthetic nicotine, in proportions that can be very high.
For both nicotine pouches and electronic cigarettes, tobacco manufacturers have invested heavily in social networks in order to ensure the advertising and promotion of these products to adolescents and young adults. A survey by Bureau of Investigative Journalism had thus shown, in 2021, that British American Tobacco (BAT) had invested £1 billion (€1.16 billion) in this type of communication and had recruited influencers in different countries. This phenomenon also seems to be occurring in Australia today around nicotine pouches, as revealed by an investigation by Guardian Australia[1].
Illegal products in Australia
At the forefront of tobacco control, Australia recently reinforced its legislation on emerging products. As is the case for e-cigarettes, the sale of nicotine pouches would, in this country, only be legal on prescription. However, no brand of nicotine pouches has filed an application for authorisation with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). In fact, the sale of nicotine pouches is illegal in Australia.
Despite this ban on sales and advertising, nicotine pouches are heavily promoted on Australian social media by TikTok and Instagram influencers. While these influencers are not directly selling these products, they are linking to an illegal merchant site, which advertises these nicotine pouches as legal.
Influencers defend themselves from any advertising or promotional action
These influencers generally relay the manufacturers' discourse, with arguments emphasizing the discretion of these products and suggesting their use in situations where it is not possible to smoke or vape. These products can also be presented as "alternatives" to smoked tobacco, or even - according to the manufacturers - as a method of quitting smoking.
The latest development among Australian influencers is to present nicotine pouches as a tool to help people quit e-cigarettes. The prevalence of regular vaping has reached 19.8 % among 18-24 year olds in 2023, while the prevalence of smoking is now only 10.1 %[2]. Various alerts, particularly in school environment, reported on the significant challenges that teens and young adults can face when trying to quit vaping.
One of these influencers offered his visitors a discount offer on a merchant site, while proclaiming that he was only exposing his own method of quitting vaping, without promoting it. The audience of each of these influencers is in the tens of thousands of Internet users, with the most visited video on this subject totaling two million views.
Manufacturers deny any involvement in promoting their products
On behalf of the Australian Federal Government, Health Minister Mark Butler strongly condemned these commercial practices, particularly when they target minors.[3]He recalled that, according to the TGA, nicotine pouches cannot currently be sold in Australia, either online or in physical stores, and that enforcement action will be taken.
Influencers identified by The Guardian have all denied having any connection to the manufacturers, even when they direct to a reseller's site or cite an international brand. The two main producers of nicotine pouches, Philip Morris International (Zyn brand) and BAT (Velo brand, formerly Lyft) have also denied any connection to these influencers. A BAT representative even called for the immediate closure of the resale sites. The history of the tobacco industry is nevertheless peppered with third party groups and researchers whose conflicts of interest with the tobacco industry are proven, but systematically denied.
Tags: Australia, nicotine pouches, influencers, TikTok, Instagram, Zyn, Velo
M.F.
[1] May N, 'All good to take to school?': Australian influencers promoted flavored nicotine pouches to vape-addicted youths, The Guardian Australia, published 6 February 2024, accessed 8 February 2024.
[2] Borys S, Over 3.5 million Australians aged 14 or over vape or smoke, new data has revealed, ABC News, published June 2, 2023, accessed February 8, 2024.
[3] May N, Butler J, Albanese government condemns 'widespread marketing' of nicotine pouches to young people, The Guardian Australia, published 7 February 2024, accessed 8 February 2024.
