Nicotine sachets: a new offensive by the tobacco industry in Argentina

In Argentina, nicotine pouches are increasingly available through commercial channels. British American Tobacco Argentina recently introduced VELO pouches, while other brands, such as ZYN (Philip Morris International), are also reported in distribution channels, particularly online. Marketed as "smoke-free" products, these pouches are not subject to specific health regulations in the country and instead fall under the legal framework prohibiting electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Their introduction to the market raises serious public health concerns, especially due to their high addictive potential and their appeal to young people.[1].

A market launch despite a strict legal framework for new products

Argentina has specific regulations regarding traditional tobacco products. However, new tobacco products such as heated tobacco or, more broadly, vaping products are prohibited from being sold. More recently, nicotine pouches have appeared on the market. They are sold even though they are not recognized as smoking cessation aids and, on the contrary, their addictive nature and toxicity are increasingly well-established. Indeed, although they do not contain tobacco, these products deliver nicotine, a substance whose highly addictive nature is proven. They are offered without any prior health assessment of their safety, their impact on consumption patterns, or their potential role in initiating nicotine use.

According to the Buenos Aires Provincial Health Department, these products fall under existing restrictions applicable to tobacco products. Provincial Law No. 13.894 establishes a general framework for health protection regarding the promotion and consumption of tobacco products and/or their derivatives, with particular attention paid to the protection of children and adolescents.[2]. This interpretation underscores that the absence of tobacco in these pouches cannot, in itself, justify their exclusion from addiction prevention policies and the protection of vulnerable populations. On the contrary, it is this very basis that has legitimized the ban on heated tobacco and vaping products.

In this perspective, the question arises of the reminder of this legislative provision by the health authorities and the effective application of this prohibition.

Health alerts, attractive marketing and the undermining of progress in the fight against smoking

At this stage, Argentine health authorities, particularly at the provincial level, have issued warnings regarding the distribution of nicotine sachets. They emphasize the high nicotine content of these products, their strong addictive potential, and the marketing strategies employed, based on attractive flavors and packaging, and a narrative that normalizes nicotine consumption.

These warnings come amid an already worrying public health context regarding tobacco consumption. According to available data, the prevalence of daily smoking in Argentina has stagnated or even started to rise again, increasing from 16.8 per 100,000 daily smoking cases in 2018 to 17 per 100,000 daily smoking cases in 2023. This trend reflects a slowdown in the progress made over previous decades in reducing smoking and highlights the vulnerability of public health gains.

In this context, the introduction of new nicotine products constitutes an additional risk factor. These products are likely to maintain consumers' nicotine dependence, encourage co-use with cigarettes, and initiate new groups, particularly adolescents and young adults, into regular nicotine consumption. Far from contributing to a sustainable reduction in smoking, they risk undermining prevention goals and normalizing the use of addictive substances once again.

A global industrial strategy already regulated or prohibited in several countries

The distribution of nicotine pouches in Argentina is part of a broader strategy by major tobacco companies, including British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International, to reposition their businesses around so-called "smoke-free" products. This strategy relies on the rapid rollout of new nicotine products, accompanied by intensive marketing and messaging focused on innovation and harm reduction, without sufficient independent scientific validation.

In response to these practices, several countries have already adopted restrictive measures, ranging from strict regulations to outright bans on nicotine pouches, in order to protect populations, particularly young people, and to preserve the progress made in the fight against smoking. These decisions reflect a growing recognition that the proliferation of nicotine products constitutes a structural threat to public health policies.

In this international context, the Argentine situation illustrates the need for health authorities to react quickly to globalized industrial strategies to prevent situations that make it more difficult to effectively enforce the ban on the marketing of these products.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] BAT rolls out VELO nicotine pouches in Argentina as social media buzzes about ZYN distribution, 2 First, published on January 12, 2026, accessed on the same day

[2] Press release, Health alert for the use of nicotine bags in the Province, Government of the Province of Buenos Aires, Published on January 9, 2026, accessed on January 12, 2026