Belgian Health Minister wants to ban nicotine pouches

Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke called on January 25, 2023, for a ban on nicotine pouches, noting that, like vaping products, they can be a stepping stone to smoking for young people.

Nicotine pouches, which are placed between the upper lip and gum, are reminiscent of snus, a moist powder containing tobacco that is banned throughout the European Union, except in Sweden. However, nicotine pouches are not made of tobacco. They contain nicotine, plant fibers, and flavors that are particularly attractive to young people. Nicotine pouches are the latest addition to the product portfolio of tobacco manufacturers, who are investing heavily in these new products in response to the decline in global consumption of traditional tobacco cigarettes. Their goal is to keep consumers addicted to nicotine, but also to attract new customers.

Minister Vandenbroucke reiterated the objective of a tobacco-free generation in Belgium. He emphasized that the way to achieve this was to prevent children and young people from starting to smoke or use other nicotine products.[1].

The success of nicotine pouches in Belgium

Nicotine pouches were first legalized in Belgium in 2021, treated as a "medicinal product." They appeared in Belgian stores, including major supermarket chains in Wallonia.[2]These products quickly gained popularity thereafter due to aggressive marketing by tobacco giants such as British American Tobacco (BAT) and Imperial Tobacco. BAT sponsored several events such as the Tomorrowland music festival by selling these pouches, proposed as an alternative to smoking bans.

BAT's VELO and LYFT are the two largest brands of nicotine pouches in Belgium and are marketed in colorful packaging with a variety of flavors.

The gradual arrival of these products in France

In France, nicotine pouches appeared in points of sale (tobacco stores) in the last quarter of 2022 through independent manufacturers. These products are not yet heavily marketed but are promoted under the misleading label "Snus/Snuf."

The VELO brand, for its part, appeared online in December 2022. The product is presented as a "less risky alternative" to smoking and the diversity of flavors is strongly highlighted through taglines such as: " VELO is available in a range of flavors and intensities that you can enjoy anywhere, anytime. » More and more French-speaking websites are selling these products and promoting them on social networks.

Read our analysis - Nicotine pouches, a new marketing opportunity for the tobacco industry

Keywords: Belgium, nicotine pouches, ban, flavors, young people

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1] Frank Vandenbroucke calls for banning nicotine pouches, RTBF, published January 25, 2023, consulted January 27, 2023

[2] Dylan Carter, Trendy and colorful: Nicotine pouches entice young Belgians, The Brussels Times, published on April 25, 2022, accessed on January 27, 2023