Nicotine pouches, a new marketing opportunity for the tobacco industry
December 28, 2022
Par: National Committee Against Smoking
Dernière mise à jour: August 6, 2024
Temps de lecture: 15 minutes
The Swiss Association for the Prevention of Smoking (AT Switzerland) denounces the tobacco industry's marketing offensive around nicotine pouches[1]. These newcomers in the tobacco industry's product portfolio are increasingly present in Switzerland but also in the countries of the European Union. The advertising around nicotine pouches is similar to that used to promote, some time ago, manufactured cigarettes and other tobacco products.
The number of new nicotine-containing products is increasing, posing new challenges to public health. Tobacco manufacturers are investing heavily in these new products in response to the decline in global consumption of traditional cigarettes. Their goal is to keep consumers addicted to nicotine, but also to attract new customers.
Oral nicotine pouches are a new product in this tobacco industry portfolio that includes brands such as ZYN, ON! and VELO, usually offered in many different flavors. These products are sold in pouches similar in presentation to snus and are consumed in the same way. Another common characteristic is that they deliver more nicotine (up to 20mg according to some brands) than a conventional cigarette (1 to 3 mg). This characteristic means a very rapid entry into addiction, especially among young people who are the main target of the marketing of this product. The only difference is in the composition of the product: instead of containing tobacco leaves, they are filled with white powder containing nicotine.
Snus, for its part, has been banned, with the exception of Sweden, in the rest of the European Union since 1992. It is nevertheless marketed on several other continents (in the United States by RJ Reynolds, under the Camel brand, and by Altria, under the Marlboro brand). Asia is currently the continent with the highest consumption (82%), followed by Africa. In addition to the similar appearance of the two products, manufacturers themselves present these products as "snus" (See visual of a nicotine sachet presented as snus in France below.), which does not make the distinction easy.[2]. This strategy deliberately maintains confusion between the two products in an attempt to overturn the current ban on snus in the EU. Through these new products, the tobacco industry is seeking to transform itself into a nicotine industry while refusing to consider a "tobacco-free" world.
Communication around nicotine pouches is growing stronger in Europe
The Swiss association says nicotine pouches are popular among young people because they allow for easy consumption “discreet, virtually undetectable in public” and are mainly sold online, making age verification very difficult.
In 2021, an investigation by Bureau of Investigative Journalism revealed that manufacturer British American Tobacco (BAT) has launched a £1bn (€1.14bn) marketing campaign relying heavily on social media and event sponsorship to promote its new products including nicotine pouches.[3]. While the manufacturer presented these products as "alternatives" for smokers, the strategies deployed show that it also wants to attract new customers, particularly young people. On TikTok, campaigns launched by influencers for nicotine pouches glamorize the product under the hashtags #LyftSnus or #OpenTheCan. These campaigns have recorded several tens of millions of views and the influencers emphasize the discreet and trendy side of nicotine pouches in their advertising pitch.
In Belgium, BAT has sponsored several events such as the Tomorrowland music festival by selling nicotine pouches, which are being promoted as an alternative to smoking bans. These products are rapidly gaining popularity in Belgium due to aggressive marketing by tobacco giants such as BAT and Imperial Tobacco.[4].
In France, nicotine pouches appeared in points of sale (tobacco stores) in the last quarter of 2022. These products, sold for between 6 and 8 euros on average for a box of 20 pouches, are not yet the subject of significant marketing but are promoted under the misleading description of "Snus / snuf".
Figure 1 - Parisian flow rate, November 2022 (©CNCT)
It is mainly online and on social networks through Nicopouches.fr that the products are highlighted using promotions and regular mailings encouraging purchases. The main brands of tobacco manufacturers can be found on this site (Velo, On!, Zyn, Skruf, Nordic spirit, etc.).
Nicopouches.fr uses the same aggressive tactics as some tobacco manufacturers in France, notably British American Tobacco, to promote products. The use of seasonal marketing and competitions to communicate are an illustration of this, as well as discounts on products or even free offers.
Figure 2- Instagram Post - December 2022
Just like for vaping products and heated tobacco (whose flavors will be banned in 2023[5]), nicotine pouches are not subject to flavor bans and are heavily promoted as such. These nicotine pouches are often available in a range of youth-friendly flavors such as cinnamon, honey, lemon, and other fruity flavors. In addition, there are a variety of mint and menthol flavors. Flavors play an important role in attracting youth to tobacco products. In the United States, more than 80% of youth who have used tobacco and nicotine products report starting with a flavored product[6]. In a study conducted among young non-smokers who had used a product in the past 30 days, a large majority cited flavor as the main reason they had used the products[7].
Distorted studies and front groups: strategies similar to those used for tobacco products
AT Suisse states that the manufacturers of these nicotine pouches use studies financed by the tobacco industry, publicly or covertly, but also experts described as "dubious" because of their connections with this industry. The resulting reports are assessed as biased and misleading by independent experts. These reports are intended to influence the debate and put pressure on an attempt to obtain the opening of the European Union market to nicotine pouches by using the argument of risk reduction. Similar strategies have been used to promote traditional cigarettes, and more recently new products such as heated tobacco and vaping products from tobacco industry manufacturers. The AT association makes particular reference to a recent study carried out by Sundén, entitled " Combating smoking with nicotine replacement products. The example of the effects of Swedish snus on public health ", published in September 2022, which aims to open the EU market to nicotine pouches and snus by exploiting the argument of "harm reduction" of traditional smoking. This study was carried out by the Swedish consulting company Lakeville and commissioned by Haypp, a Swedish e-marketing group specializing in the promotion and sale of vaping products, snus and nicotine pouches in several European countries (Sweden, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom).
According to the study, opening the market to snus products and nicotine pouches could save up to 210,000 lives in the EU and significantly reduce new cases of lung cancer in men. AT Suisse highlights the ambiguous sources of the study, the lack of scientific evidence supporting its conclusions, the methodological weaknesses and the opacity of the authors' links. The hypothesis of Sundén's study is to reproduce the Swedish policy and to assume that it would be effective in other contexts. However, historical or cultural differences in smoking habits, which play a major role here, are not taken into account. The study also fails to mention recent and solid evidence on the numerous health risks of consuming nicotine pouches or snus, as well as the fact that a significant number of snus/nicotine pouch users are poly-users and use other tobacco products at the same time.
While nicotine pouches, which do not contain tobacco, appear to be a less risky alternative to smoking, a recent independent German study found very high levels of nicotine in these pouches, ranging from 1.79 mg to 47.5 mg/pouch, with a median level of 9.48 mg/pouch. The presence of tobacco-specific nitrosamines, some of which are carcinogenic (NNN, NNK), was also observed in trace amounts in a large proportion of the pouches tested.[8].
For AT Suisse, the Sunden study is a typical example of scientific manipulation financed by the tobacco industry in order to influence public health policies. The results of this study were also quickly taken up by front groups of the tobacco and nicotine industry, in particular the French-language site "tobaccoharmreduction.net" which promotes new tobacco and nicotine products, in particular heated tobacco and nicotine pouches.
The founder of the website "tobaccoharmreduction.net", Delon Human, is a South African doctor who has already collaborated with British American Tobacco in the field of tobacco harm reduction.[9]. He is a consultant for BAT in its strategy to renormalize the company and its products and ultimately manage to associate the manufacturer with political decisions. This involves rebuilding an image as a responsible company, which is done through new tobacco and nicotine products. Delon Human thus indicated " that through its –BAT’s– public commitment to harm reduction, BAT is making itself accountable to its consumers and society. This approach should be applauded and, if successful, BAT could be part of the solution to combat the tobacco epidemic. »[10].
Among the contributors to the site "Tobaccoharmreduction.net" we also find Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, author of several studies in favor of the tobacco industry and supporter of the hypothesis that nicotine would protect against COVID-19 put forward by the tobacco industry.[11].
This desire of the tobacco industry to open the European market to nicotine pouches and to promote them as "lower-risk alternatives" is also gaining ground among some MEPs.
In his publications and videos, the MEP highlights a nicotine sachet from the VELO brand (from the manufacturer British American Tobacco) and shares the positions of the site "tobaccoharmreduction.net"
The instrumentalization of risk reduction
The tobacco industry is massively pushing the "harm reduction" argument in the presentation of nicotine pouches. In doing so, tobacco manufacturers are seeking to present themselves as "part of the solution" to the tobacco epidemic. This strategy has a dual interest for them: it increases the consumer base and facilitates pressure on decision-makers to relax existing rules for these new products. It is also a way of dividing public health stakeholders on the measures to be taken.
Whether in France or in other countries where nicotine pouches are available for sale, they are promoted as "effective alternatives" to smoking without proven scientific data to support these claims. Advertisements in France are mainly focused, in addition to risk reduction, on the ease of use of these products and the diversity of flavors. It is also often indicated that these products can be consumed anywhere and at any time, unlike smoked products (cigarettes, but also vaping products). In the United States, for example, the manufacturer RJ Reynolds has increased its marketing targeting towards co-consumers by focusing on the "advantages" of nicotine pouches, namely that they can be consumed in public places where smoking is prohibited. Advertisements for nicotine pouches also use arguments that suggest that they are less dangerous than traditional tobacco products. A large proportion of the advertising inserts on the website or social networks contained statements such as "tobacco-free" or "combustion-free". This type of promotion largely refers to the arguments deployed to promote new nicotine products in comparison with traditional tobacco products.
Formulations that aim to present these products as healthier and less risky for their consumers. In doing so, manufacturers do not mention their potential health risks and their addictive nature in order to attract a new, often young, clientele.
While there is no real data on the consumption of nicotine pouches in France, public health organizations in the United States are alarmed by the increase in the consumption of these products among young people.[12]. These were introduced to the market in 2016 in the United States and their popularity quickly skyrocketed. The NGO Truth Initiative observed a worrying number of young people reporting using these new oral nicotine products. A survey conducted in the fall of 2020 showed that 13% of the 15-24 year-olds surveyed were regular users of these products.
Creating doubt and misleading consumers
Tobacco manufacturers actively communicate, particularly in the West, about a "tobacco-free future" and a "smoke-free world" but continue to aggressively advertise traditional cigarettes and other tobacco products in low- and middle-income countries, where anti-smoking legislation is weaker or non-existent.
This same strategy is found for electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes are often confused by the general public and in the media. This confusion is deliberately sought and maintained by manufacturers and particularly by Philip Morris, which markets these two products under the same name of "non-combustion alternatives". In France, Philip Morris' communication states that IQOS (a brand of heated tobacco) and its electronic cigarette VEEV "reduce the harmful components generated by an average of 95% compared to cigarette smoke", which implies that vaping products and heated tobacco have very similar risk profiles. The tobacco industry uses vaping products as an icebreaker for promoting other tobacco products, including heated tobacco. In this case, Philip Morris is using its VEEV e-cigarette to advertise its IQOS device. The aim is to obtain more flexible regulation for the latter, particularly in terms of taxation.
Keywords: nicotine pouches, snus, europe, sweden, tobacco industry, marketing, flavours, youth, lobby, front groups, interference, regulation, new products, british american tobacco
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[1] Luciano Ruggia, “Nicotine Pouches Save Lives”: Nicotine Industry’s New Figure Manipulation, Swiss Association for the Prevention of Smoking, published on December 20, 2022, consulted on December 21, 2022 [2] Generation without tobacco, Snus or nicotine pouches? The industry confuses the issue, published June 22, 2021, accessed December 21, 2022 [3] Generation without tobacco, BAT invests £1bn to promote new products to young people, published on February 23, 2021, consulted on December 21, 2022 [4] Dylan Carter, Trendy and colorful: Nicotine pouches entice young Belgians, Brussels Times, published on April 25, 2022, accessed on December 21, 2022 [5] Generation without tobacco, European Union bans flavourings in heated tobacco, published on November 17, 2022, consulted on December 28, 2022 [6] Truth Initiative, What is Zyn and what are oral nicotine pouches?, published on February 9, 2021, consulted on December 21, 2021 [7] Ambrose BK, Day HR, Rostron B, et al. Flavored Tobacco Product Use Among US Youth Aged 12-17 Years, 2013-2014. JAMA. 2015;314(17):1871–1873. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.13802 [8] Generation without tobacco, Traces of nitrosamines and high levels of nicotine in pouches, published on August 16, 2022, consulted on December 21, 2022 [9] Delon Human, Tobacco Tactics, last updated October 14, 2020, accessed December 21, 2022 [10] British American Tobacco, Why it Matters – A Focus on Harm Reduction, BAT's Sustainability Focus Report, 2013 [11] The NOSMOKE Institute at Patras Science Park, Tobacco Tactics, last updated November 8, 2022, accessed December 21, 2022 [12] Generation without tobacco, Flavors, freedom of use, reduced harm: marketing arguments for nicotine sachets, published on September 15, 2022, consulted on December 21, 2022 National Committee Against Smoking |