Category: Smokeless

  • European Union Reviewing Snus

    European Union Reviewing Snus

    Photo: Marko Hannula

    The future of Sweden’s snus, a moist oral tobacco product banned in the EU since 1992, is currently under review as part of the EU’s evaluation of the tobacco directive, reports Euractiv.

    Originating in the 18th century, snus is a unique Swedish tobacco product and differs from newer alternatives like heated tobacco, e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches. Sweden secured an exemption for snus during its EU accession negotiations, limiting its sale to within the country.

    The EU aims to achieve a “Tobacco-free Generation” by 2040 as tobacco is a major health risk, responsible for 27 percent of all cancers in the EU. Sweden, expected to have smoking rates drop below 5 percent in 2023, is at the forefront of this effort.

    Patrik Strömer, Secretary-General of the Swedish Snus Manufacturers’ Association, believes that the EU’s ban on snus is due to a lack of knowledge about the product, and he highlights that it has proven beneficial in reducing smoking-related diseases in Sweden.

    Karl Fagerström, a tobacco and nicotine researcher, finds it odd that the U.S. has allowed snus in the market while the EU has banned it, despite using similar data. He points to WHO data showing that Swedish snus users have lower smoking-attributable deaths, especially regarding lung cancer.

    On the other hand, Italian MEP Alessandra Moretti argues that snus is associated with diseases like cardiovascular issues and cancers of the digestive system. Fagerström counters that snus usage in Sweden is not linked to oral cancer and should be avoided during pregnancy, similar to any nicotine use.

    The EU Court of Justice deems tobacco products for oral use harmful, addictive and potentially a gateway to tobacco use. Advocates for snus maintain that in Sweden, snus use doesn’t lead to subsequent smoking, supported by declining smoking rates among the young population.

  • TACJA launches nicotine pouches in Europe

    TACJA launches nicotine pouches in Europe

    TACJA has launched nicotine pouches in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Sweden.

    The products offer eight flavors in two taste series—Mellow and Frozen—and nicotine concentrations of 20 mg/g, 18 mg/g and 12 mg/g. According to TACJA, the products contain pharmaceutical-grade ingredients and comply with the European Union Good Manufacturing Practice.

    “We are thrilled to introduce TACJA, offering a diverse range of flavors and a delightful sensory presence,” said Charles An of TACJA in a statement. “Our nicotine pouches are designed to provide users with moments of quality and unconstraint,” he added.

  • Health Canada Licenses Nicotine Pouch

    Health Canada Licenses Nicotine Pouch

    Photo: Andrii

    Health Canada has granted Nicoventures Trading permission to sell Zonnic, a nicotine pouch that can help adult smokers quit smoking by delivering nicotine to the body. The product will be distributed in Canada exclusively by BAT subsidiary Imperial Tobacco Canada (ITCAN).

    “This is a first for Canada. No other nicotine pouch has received Health Canada’s authorization. Zonnic will give smokers a new option to help them quit smoking,” said ITCAN President and CEO Frank Silva, President in a statement.

    “We all agree, smoking is the cause of serious diseases, and we are committed to reducing the health impact of our business. The addition of Zonnic to our product portfolio is the next step in this journey.’’

    Zonnic, which temporarily relieves cravings and nicotine withdrawal symptoms, is licensed as a Natural Health Product and has been authorized for sale by Health Canada for use as a form of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). Zonnic contains no tobacco.

    As part of its license application, Nicoventures provided all information required by Health Canada, including a pharmacokinetics study that assessed the bioavailability of nicotine in Zonnic in comparison to other commercially available NRTs. The study showed that Zonnic nicotine pouches effectively deliver nicotine, and are comparable to other commercial brands.

    “Canada has a golden opportunity to achieve its reducing smoking rates below 5 percent by 2035. We just have to look at Sweden to see how it can be done. Sweden is about to become the first smoke free country,” said Silva. “This is being achieved by embracing new, less harmful nicotine products and creating a policy environment which encourages smokers to move away from smoking. With Canadian smoking rates at an all-time low, we believe that Zonnic can reduce rates even further, and help Canada get the same results as Sweden.”

    ‘’I am immensely proud to add Zonnic to our product portfolio that hit the shelves this week in convenience stores and later this year in pharmacies. Offering a range of less harmful products to smoking will benefit our adult consumers and society as a whole,’’ concluded Silva.

  • Kenya Wants to Ban BAT Nicotine Pouches

    Kenya Wants to Ban BAT Nicotine Pouches

    Image: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Kenyan legislators are urging the government to ban the sale of BAT’s nicotine pouches Velo and Lyft, reports 2Firsts.

    Health Minister Susan Nakhumicha was questioned about the products during a parliamentary address.

    The Kenyan Tobacco Control Act (KTCA) states that all packaging of nicotine pouches and tobacco products must contain warnings in English and Kiswahili. Sabina Chege, Member of Parliament, showed two boxes of Velo nicotine pouches, which only displayed a reminder that Velo contains nicotine, which can be addictive. The argument by experts is that nicotine also poses serious health risks.

    Allowing import and sale of the pouches could jeopardize the well-being of Kenyan youth, according to Chege. In response, Nakhumicha suggested the formation of a technical team to investigate the KTCA and make recommendations.

  • EU Considering Ban on Tobacco-Free Snus

    EU Considering Ban on Tobacco-Free Snus

    Image: Andrii

    In a tweet from Member of Parliament Charlie Weimers, news of a potential ban on snus in the EU has come to light.

    “A secret report I shouldn’t have landed on my desk,” the tweet said. “In the report that will be presented to the EU member states this week, there are two notable writings: (1) praise for how successful the snus ban has been and (2) a recommendation that the EU should extend the snus ban to the tobacco-free white snus (nicotine portions).”

    “That the EU snus ban is a success is completely wrong,” he wrote. “It is actually snus that makes Sweden the only country in the EU that is on the way to reaching the U.N.’s goal of a smoke-free society (defined as less than 5 percent smokers), which has saved many lives. A ban on nicotine pouches would have been a hard blow to the attempt to eradicate smoking in the EU.

    “Unfortunately, the Swedish exception for tobacco snus does not apply to nicotine pouches. If the EU Commission and the member states accept the report’s recommendation, nicotine pouches will also be banned in Sweden. Men have largely opted out of smoking in favor of snus while women looking for less dangerous alternatives choose nicotine pouches more often. Therefore, such a ban would hit women extra hard.

    “The report has been written by consultants who work for DG SANTE (the EU’s health bureaucrats), and the writings probably would not have crept into the report if they did not have the support of the bureaucrats. Most likely, this is a test balloon from the bureaucracy. If the proposal falls to the ground at the meeting with the member states, the bureaucrats can blame the consultants, and if the proposal does not meet resistance, the bureaucrats can interpret it as a clear support and work on with a sharp proposal. This is how you often work in the EU’s bureaucracy.

    “The government must therefore already make it clear at the meeting this week that our country opposes a ban on white snus and work to ensure that citizens continue to have the opportunity to choose the least harmful way to use nicotine. Our negotiators are also welcome to raise the issue of the risks to public health of having too many do-gooding bureaucrats in DG SANTE.”

    The news has left many angry, with calls for “SWEXIT” if the proposal passes—meaning, those against the measure are calling for Sweden to leave the EU if the ban passes.

  • Premier to Distribute NIC-S Pouches

    Premier to Distribute NIC-S Pouches

    Photo: Premier Manufacturing/Enorama Pharma

    Premier Manufacturing, a subsidiary of U.S. Tobacco Cooperative, and Enorama Pharma have entered into an exclusive distribution agreement regarding the sale of NIC-S, tobacco-free white snus, for the U.S. market.

    “The growth and sales potential in tobacco free nicotine pouch market is growing exponentially”, said Premier Manufacturing Sales Director Steve Lucas. “We wanted to offer our customers and their consumers a broader range of products and NIC-S is a great partner to achieve this”, said Lucas.

    “We at Enorama are very pleased to have entered into this distribution agreement with Premier Manufacturing and we look forward to a long and close collaboration. We are convinced that Premier Manufacturing, its extensive sales organization and a wide contact network, will be a valuable partner for Enorama’s expansion in the American market.” said CEO Annette Agerskov.

    NIC-S is available in a wide range of options allowing the consumer to tailor their nicotine intake. “With three different nicotine strengths—3 mg, 6 mg and 9 mg—and several flavors such as wintergreen, mint, orange, berry, cinnamon and flavor free; consumers will be sure to find a favorite style—or two,” said Lucas.

    “Everyone at Premier Manufacturing is excited about the opportunity to partner with Enorama Pharma to supply our customers with a superior quality premium tobacco-free white pouch that will satisfy the growing number of consumers entering this exciting category,” said U.S. Tobacco Cooperative Senior Vice President Russ Mancuso.

    Premier Manufacturing will be doing a full marketing campaign promoting NIC-S that will include point-of-sale materials, print and digital ad campaigns, display fixtures and various websites. Product will be available via Premier’s distribution network throughout the U.S. in the coming months.

  • Sweden to Slash Snus Tax

    Sweden to Slash Snus Tax

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    The Swedish government intends to reduce the tax on snus by 20 percent and increase the tax on combustible tobacco products by 9 percent.

    In a note on its website, the government said the move would lower the price of a snus can by approximately SEK3 and reduce the price of a cigarette pack by about SEK4.

    Parliament had previously decided to increase tobacco taxes in 2023 and 2024. However, recent inflation has been higher than the forecasts upon which the increases were based.

    Sweden already taxes smokeless tobacco at lower rates than smoked tobacco because it believes combustible products present a greater health risk.

    The changes are expected to take effect on Nov. 1, 2024.

    Tobacco harm reduction advocates applauded the decision. “Sweden’s new taxation policy is an exemplary move in fast-tracking the country even further towards its smoke-free target,” said Michael Landl, director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, in a statement.

    “By making less harmful alternatives like snus more accessible through tax reductions, Sweden is not just theorizing harm reduction; it’s effectively implementing it. It’s time for the EU to take a leaf out of Sweden’s book.”

  • Steve McGeough to Lead Übbs

    Steve McGeough to Lead Übbs

    Photo: Übbs

    Nicotine pouch manufacturer Übbs has appointed Steve McGeough as general manager.

    Previously head of retail at British American Tobacco, Steve brings considerable experience from within the nicotine space. During his time at BAT, McGeough transformed the retail and direct-to-consumer experience, boosting sales by 20 percent. In addition, McGeough led the launch of BAT’s Vuse and Velo brands across the U.K., underpinned by a global offline subscription proposition.

    Prior to BAT, McGeough was retail director for Tesco Mobile where he helped to achieve double-digit revenue growth and enhance customer satisfaction.

    As general manager for Übbs, Steve will drive distribution, accelerate the brand’s online presence, build awareness and focus on responsible growth.

    “With over 25 years’ experience across retail, start-ups and product-led businesses, including significant time in the nicotine industry, Steve brings an impressive blend of experience that means he is perfectly positioned to help propel Übbs forward,” says Nigel Hardy director of Übbs parent company, RV Kharma.

    “His experience at British American Tobacco working within the next generation products division where he achieved impressive sales growth and launched nicotine pouch products across the U.K. is a great grounding for what’s to come with Übbs.

    “Steve shares our unwavering commitment to excellence, sustainability and ethical practices. We look forward to him taking the reins as we continue to grow.”

    Founded in the U.K. in 2022, Übbs’ pouches are manufactured to global pharma standards in India.

  • Sweden Close to Smoke-Free Status

    Sweden Close to Smoke-Free Status

    From left to right: Julia Kril (World Vapers Alliance); MEP Johan Nissinen; Carissia During (Considerate Pouchers); MEP Charlie Weimers; Michael Landl (World Vapers’ Alliance) | Source: World Vapers’ Alliance

    Sweden has almost reached smoke-free status, which is considered 5 percent of the population or less smoking, reports AP. In 2019, 6.4 percent of Swedes over the age of 15 were daily smokers. Last year, 5.6 percent of the population were smokers, according to the Public Health Agency of Sweden.

    “We were early in restricting smoking in public spaces, first in school playgrounds and after school centers and later in restaurants, outdoor cafes and public places such as bus stations,” said Ulrika Arehed, secretary-general of the Swedish Cancer Society. “In parallel, taxes on cigarettes and strict restrictions on the marketing of these products have played an important role.

    Members of European Parliament expressed concern with the European Union approach toward smoking cessation, noting a need for an approach following that of Sweden. Charlie Weimers and Johan Nissinen called for a more open approach toward harm reduction in the EU at a press conference in Brussels that was hosted by the World Vapers’ Alliance.

    “The Swedish case presents the third and final determining pillar in the pro-harm reduction argument,” said Michael Landl, director of the World Vapers’ Alliance. “The science, the experience of the consumers and now the Swedish example are proof that harm reduction works in achieving a smoke-free society. Now we have an undeniable case that the EU-wide regulation must be risk-based and evidence-supported.”

    “Policy should be evidence-based,” said Weimers. “WHO [World Health Organization] will soon classify Sweden as Europe’s first smoke-free country because of harm reduction policies and widespread use of snus. Sweden has a wide range of harm reduction products: We have snus, nicotine pouches, vaping, etc. People are given a choice!”

    Nissinen said, “It is clear that smoking kills, and we need to do everything we can to prevent those unnecessary deaths. Sweden is the best example of how this is achievable, namely with a pragmatic harm reduction approach. It is the only country in the EU where snus is legal and popular, with 18 percent of the population using it. Consuming snus instead of cigarettes saved many Swedish lives. It is time that the EU Commission expects this reality and starts acting accordingly.”

    “Snus has been used since the 1800s, so we have more than 200 years of a case study that proved that tobacco harm reduction works. Snus is a great way to continue consuming nicotine without harmful chemicals you take from the traditional combustible cigarettes,” said Carissa During, the director of the Considerate Pouchers. “Many countries in Europe are trying to overregulate or ban alternative nicotine products. Policymakers believe that banning something will make them disappear. We know that it is not true.”

    The WHO, however, attributes Sweden’s declining smoking rate to tobacco control measures, including information campaigns, advertising bans and “cessation support” for those wishing to quit. The agency stated that Sweden’s tobacco use is at more than 20 percent when including snus and similar products.

    “Switching from one harmful product to another is not a solution,” the WHO said in an email, referring to snus. “Promoting a so-called ‘harm reduction approach’ to smoking is another way the tobacco industry is trying to mislead people about the inherently dangerous nature of these products.”

  • Seeking Substitutes

    Seeking Substitutes

    Dholakia Tobacco is offering Indian smokeless tobacco products that are less hazardous than the country’s most commonly used varieties. Photos: Dholakia Tobacco

    Modern oral nicotine products could help Indian consumers abandon deadly local smokeless tobacco products.

    By Stefanie Rossel

    When it comes to tobacco, India holds several records: It is the world’s second-largest consumer, third-largest producer and fifth-largest exporter. Its consumption pattern is also remarkable. According to the 2016–2017 Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 266.8 million adult Indians—28.6 percent of the country’s population—use tobacco in some form.

    However, with 199.4 million consumers, the most used tobacco product is smokeless (SLT). Only 99.5 million Indians consume tobacco by smoking it. Of these, only 37.5 million smoke cigarettes. Most smokers prefer bidis—cheap, unfiltered cigarettes made of tobacco flakes wrapped in a tendu or temburni leaf that are even more hazardous to health than factory-made cigarettes.

    India has the world’s largest number of SLT users. Unfortunately, the type of SLT that prevails here does not reside on the low end of the risk continuum like other smokeless products such as Swedish snus do. A pasteurized oral tobacco with limited negative health effects, snus has helped Sweden achieve the world’s lowest smoking prevalence. Indian SLTs, by contrasts, are considered “uniquely deadly” by experts.

    Indian SLTs come in a large variety. The most commonly used variants are khaini, a mixture of tobacco and lime, and gutkha, which comprises tobacco, slaked lime, paraffin wax as well as catechu, an extract of acacia trees and crushed areca (betel) nut. Other local forms of SLTs contain mixtures of betel quid or paan masala. All are highly addictive and full of carcinogens. In addition to the typical ingredients, they can be laced with thousands of chemicals. Available for a few rupees, these SLTs are affordable for low-income groups. Like bidis, they are predominantly consumed in rural areas, where almost 70 percent of the country’s population lives. SLTs are responsible for an estimated 350,000 premature deaths annually in India.

    In line with its national health policy, India aims to reduce the number of tobacco users by 30 percent by 2025. The country closely adheres to the World Health Organization’s abolitionist guidelines, but its tobacco control measures are often contradictory. Attempts to curb tobacco use have remained limited to tax hikes on cigarettes rather than bidis and a ban on e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco products. In 2012, all states banned the manufacture, sale and distribution—but not the public use—of pre-packaged gutkha under laws that defined the product as a food. Some states extended this ban to other oral tobacco products, such as paan masala. Enforcement of these bans has been weak, however.

    In an interview with The Free Press Journal, Kiran Melkote of AHER, a harm reduction group, outlined the reasons for India’s ineffective tobacco control policy. “Many arms of the government work at cross purposes and implement policies that even on paper are in direct conflict with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The health ministry tries to implement awareness campaigns and maintain zero industry contact norms for its employees while the commerce ministry provides loans and support for tobacco cultivation and the finance ministry bans e-cigarettes and incentivizes bidi manufacturers. All of them generally ignore oral tobacco. The answer therefore lies in understanding that the strategies used in the developed world where the predominant form of tobacco is the cigarette may not really impact tobacco use in India. Here we have a larger population with different problems and an admitted inability to implement existing laws.”

    The success of modern oral products in Pakistan is welcome proof that they can replace the deadlier local oral tobacco.

    Samrat Chowdhery, director of the Council for Harm Reduced Alternatives

    Potential Solution

    Perhaps a look across the border might be useful. India’s neighbor Pakistan has a tobacco consumption profile similar to that of India. An estimated 10 million people use SLT, which represents more than 40 percent of the country’s total tobacco market. Recently, Pakistan has seen a remarkable development: In December, BAT announced that its modern oral nicotine brand Velo had achieved a monthly volume of more than 40 million pouches in the country, making it BAT’s third-largest market for nicotine pouches. Modern oral nicotine products consist of pre-portioned bags comprising nicotine applied to a carrier material. They are considered to be a more advanced, cleaner version of Swedish snus.

    Could Pakistan’s experience in substituting hazardous SLT products with less harmful varieties serve as a blueprint for India? “The tobacco use patterns in both nations are similar,” says Samrat Chowdhery, director of the Council for Harm Reduced Alternatives, referring to the high share of oral tobacco use. “Nicotine pouches have not been sold on scale before in the South Asian region, hence their substitution potential for the region’s tobacco users, especially the SLT users, was not known. Their success in Pakistan is welcome proof that they can replace the deadlier local oral tobacco—though whether that is indeed happening needs to be better understood.”

    Nihar Dholakia, director of next-generation products at Dholakia Tobacco, an SLT company based in Gujarat, India, has been closely monitoring the rise of the modern oral category in Pakistan. “Given that both Pakistan and India have a similar culture of using SLT products, we believe that the success of nicotine pouches in Pakistan could be replicated in India but on a much larger scale.”

    In light of the Indian government’s abolitionist strategy and the competitive structure of the local SLT segment, in which two leading companies jointly hold around 40 percent of the market, less hazardous oral products in India could encounter major hurdles, according to Chowdhery. “Nicotine pouches and snus could face opposition from the SLT lobby unless they can be made to see the business potential,” he says. “It would be a major setback if the government banned safer oral nicotine products too.”

    Issues are also likely to come up in terms of cultural heritage and consumer education. “Tobacco use, especially oral, has long been part of India’s cultural milieu, just like alcohol is in western nations,” says Chowdhery. “SLT is also available for cheap, and varieties vary across regions. While the social stigma around smoking is beginning to develop, none exists for oral products as there is no secondary harm. Educating users can be challenging given the number of users, with different cultural norms and languages such that it is difficult to design communications.”

    “In India, the avenues available for broadly educating consumers about THR and more specifically finessing that message to SLT users may be very limited,” says Dholakia. “The process seems to be largely organic, with consumers themselves becoming aware of the harmful effects and seeking alternatives. This often involved researching THR and exploring a range of reduced-risk products available. Online resources and word of mouth play a significant role in the education process. However, to make a more substantial impact, we require greater consumer advocacy as well as government initiatives to generally raise awareness.”

    We believe that the success of nicotine pouches in Pakistan could be replicated in India—but on a much larger scale.

    Nihar Dholakia, director of next-generation products at Dholakia Tobacco

    Treading New Paths

    Despite the government’s reluctance to admit safer substitutes, not all is lost for THR in India. Dholakia and other manufacturers are beginning to look at snus and nicotine pouches. With the Paz brand, his business recently launched the first Swedish-style tobacco snus brands in India. “In fact, we operate India’s first online platform for snus,” says Dholakia. “However, we face regulatory challenges, such as the requirements of an 85 percent pictorial warning of product packaging, high taxes and restrictions on advertisement and promotion. Nevertheless, despite these obstacles, we have observed a growing trend among consumers who are actively seeking reduced-risk products as a better alternative.”

    Dholakia Tobacco caters primarily to the premium SLT category. “However, considering the fact that India has over 220 million smokeless tobacco users who lack access to harm-reduced alternatives, we aspire to make our products more accessible and available to any SLT user. Therefore, we are determined to expand our reach to a broader audience in the domestic market as well through the right forms of direct-to-consumer education and word-of-mouth product awareness.”

    Indian consumers have responded positively to Dholakia’s snus products, particularly after switching from traditional chewing tobacco, cigarettes or khaini. “Many customers have reported experiencing a positive change firsthand, indicating their acceptance and awareness of the harm-reduced properties of snus products,” says Dholakia. “These are some of our future ambassadors for risk-reduced products, who will quite naturally be out there to talk with other consumers about their experiences with these new products.”

    The company also manufactures a filtered khaini brand, which has become popular in many Indian states recently. Filtered khaini is a modern version of khaini chewing tobacco that resembles western-style, portion pouch-packed snus but has a significantly different toxicological profile. “Traditional filter khaini available on the market is not less harmful than regular khaini,” clarifies Dholakia. “In fact, it can be thought of as a pulverized moist version of khaini packed in an oral pouch.”

    Dholakia’s filtered khaini brand is not the same, he insists. “The filter tobacco products we offer are different in composition when compared to traditional filter khaini and commercially available products in India currently. It can be said it is less harmful than other filter products due to the use of low-impact base ingredients, the type of quality tobacco and the novel processes as well as our advanced approach to product integrity and testing infrastructure. As far as affordability and availability is concerned, these filter products are comparable to regular chewing tobacco and khaini products. They are available in a few states and are perceived by khaini consumers as a more sophisticated version of a mainstay khaini product.”

    Dholakia Tobacco has also ventured into modern oral nicotine pouches. It was the first company in India to venture into this category. “As pioneers of modern oral nicotine pouches from India, our products are currently available only in the global markets we cater to and have not yet been launched domestically,” Dholakia says.

    “However, we are considering and working toward introducing them in India as we firmly believe that they can have a positive impact on public health in the country. We are confident that Indian consumers are ready for such a product. Accessibility, awareness, the right information, a fair regulatory framework and quality control are key factors that need to be addressed for the category. Given that India is in dire need of multiple harm-reduced products, we are committed to making them available in India.”

    Stefanie Rossel is Tobacco Reporter’s editorial contributor. An experienced trade journalist, she combines sharp reporting skills with in-depth knowledge of the tobacco and vapor industries. Prior to joining Tobacco Reporter, Stefanie was editor-in-chief at Tobacco Journal International, where she worked for a decade. Fluent in English, German and French, Stefanie covers tobacco news around the world. She is based in Germany.