Category: Smokeless

  • Scandinavian Tobacco Group Acquires XQS

    Scandinavian Tobacco Group Acquires XQS

    Scandinavian Tobacco Group is acquiring substantially all assets of XQS International in Sweden The transaction value consists of an upfront payment as well as an earnout agreement, STG announced in a press note.

     Assuming all targets are met, the total purchase price will be about DKK150 million ($22.19 million), and it will be fully financed by cash at hand and debt.

    XQS is active in smoke-free products, and its products are primarily sold in Sweden. In 2022, XQS’ reported net sales were about DKK50 million with a low single-digit EBITDA margin and a total volume of 3 million cans.

  • Netherlands to Ban Nicotine Pouches

    Netherlands to Ban Nicotine Pouches

    Photo: Andrii

    The Netherlands will ban the sale of nicotine pouches and expand the rules for tobacco to cover all other types of tobacco-free nicotine products, the government announced on April 21.

    Currently, Dutch law permits sales of nicotine pouches only if they contain less than 0.035 grammes of nicotine.

    The new rules will also prohibit the use of nicotine pouches and other tobacco-free nicotine products in places where smoking is not allowed.

    The government said it would also end all advertising for tobacco-free nicotine products, a segment that tobacco companies have invested heavily in as move away from combustible products to less harmful cigarette alternatives.

    “The tobacco industry keeps launching new products that make it easy for young people to come into contact with nicotine,” health deputy minister Maarten van Ooijen was quoted as saying by Reuters.

    “This is bad, because nicotine is addictive and harmful. That’s why I’m glad we will now treat these products the same as tobacco products,” he said.

  • Stingfree Launched in Sweden

    Stingfree Launched in Sweden

    Photo: Sting Free

    Sting Free modern oral nicotine pouches have been launched in Sweden.

    The Stingfree technology reduces the burning sensation and irritation on the gums, which is typical of regular snus and oral nicotine products, according to a press release. Several e-commerce distributors and stores are now selling the first product in an upcoming series of tobacco-free nicotine pouches with different flavors and strengths.

    Several studies have shown that many snus users suffer damage to and changes to the gums, especially where the pouches are in direct contact with the gums. The U.S./EU patented Stingfree technology aims to counteract this and the associated burning/irritating sensation by having an impermeable barrier on the gum side of the pouch. A high percentage of snus users dislike when nicotine pouches and snus stings/burns and irritates the gums. This has been established by Sting Free AB in a comprehensive survey in 2022, with responses from over 1,000 Swedish snus users (of which almost 40 percent were women). Of the respondents, 67 percent of the women considered that the burning/stinging sensation, regardless of when it stings, is unpleasant as did 53 percent of the men. Almost 50 percent of the respondents had had oral health problems pointed out by their dentists linked to their use of snus/nicotine pouches.

    A recent survey of U.S. females investigated why the use of smokeless tobacco products like nicotine pouches and snus is so much lower among women compared to men. A main factor concluded from the responses was the burning sensation and oral irritation caused by these products, with comments such as “irritation,” “burn,” “hurts my gums,” etc. Other factors were “negative stereotypes about smokeless users,” “deadly misconceptions” that smokeless products are more dangerous than e-cigarettes and smoking and the unfamiliar mode of delivery.

    Sting Free AB’s vision is that the Stingfree technology will become a new industry standard for nicotine pouches and traditional smokeless tobacco products like snus and that customers in the future will be asked the question, “Regular or sting-free?” when they buy such products. The company also hopes that the technology will contribute to more smokers opting out of smoking in favor of significantly less dangerous nicotine pouches.

  • Fighting the Dip Mentality

    Fighting the Dip Mentality

    Photo: Andrey Popov

    What will it take for women who smoke to consider smokeless?

    By Cheryl K. Olson

    When Brittney Niquette first tried smokeless tobacco two years ago, it was from a sense of obligation. She runs customer support for Lucy Goods, a maker of nicotine pouches, gums and lozenges.

    “I like to know what our products taste like, so that I have a genuine opinion and feedback to give customers,” she explains. “They’re just not marketed to women. So I honestly didn’t know what a nicotine pouch was. I was thinking tobacco, like, brown in a pouch.”

    Niquette started smoking at 15, repeatedly quitting and restarting. She now uses tobacco-free pouches every day. “My favorite is the berry citrus. And I like espresso flavor with coffee in the morning.”

    In Scandinavian countries, widespread use of smokeless tobacco products has driven smoking rates to astonishing lows. In his recent article “Can alternative nicotine put the final nail in the smoking coffin?,” Karl Fagerstrom writes, “The availability and use of snus has contributed to Sweden’s record-low prevalence of smoking and the lowest level of tobacco-related mortality among men in Europe. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as the ‘Swedish experience.’”

    Public health modeling that factors in that experience and the low-harm chemical constituents of modern products suggest that a huge number of deaths could be averted if more people switched, as Niquette did, from cigarettes to smokeless. But so far, most of those switching, even to the newest smokeless alternatives, have been men.

    “Of all adult smokers, about 45 percent are women, and 55 percent are men,” says Allison Bolyard, vice president for innovative nicotine products strategy at Altria. “But if you look at lifetime smokers who have successfully switched, only about one-third are women. We see a big opportunity in providing alternatives for women that they can enjoy and can be successful in switching, because they’re falling behind.”

    In recent behavioral studies on smokeless products that I’ve conducted for industry, women described negative stereotypes about smokeless users. One said, “You kinda have to fight the dip mentality. Marketing needs to be classy and discreet. Not a country boy dip and spit.”

    What innovations and approaches might get women who don’t want to quit nicotine to consider a smokeless alternative? To better understand this, I talked with people in industry working to provide appealing options for women. I also collaborated with the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association (CASAA) on a survey of its female members about their smokeless tobacco perceptions and experiences.

    Deadly Misperceptions

    Surveys consistently find that smokeless products are wrongly seen as more risky than e-cigarettes and often as more risky than smoking. A recent analysis of the nationally representative Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study found that a higher percentage of Americans believe smokeless tobacco products are more harmful than cigarettes than believe the (actual) reverse to be true. What’s more, “the study demonstrates that harm perceptions not only predict future product uptake in nonproduct users but also predict continued product use among existing users.” 

    Unfortunately, these misperceptions are even more widespread among women. Previous research found that among people in the U.S. and Canada who smoke, women were significantly less likely than men to agree with a statement that some types of smokeless tobacco are less harmful than cigarettes.

    Daunting Barriers

    Along with exaggerated fears of health risks, there are psychological and practical barriers to female interest in smokeless products. (More on these below.) One is outdated perceptions of smokeless products. Discreet modern products, such as tobacco-free nicotine pouches, do not involve what one CASAA member labeled “the nasty habit of spitting out the juice.” As Niquette’s story above implies, these small, white pouches bear little resemblance to the stereotype of a wet, brown wad of chew.

    Another barrier is the unfamiliar mode of delivery. Bolyard previously oversaw Altria’s On! tobacco-free nicotine pouch line. She notes that users of traditional moist smokeless tobacco (MST) are about 95 percent male: “As opposed to men, women who smoke cigarettes aren’t used to putting, and parking, a product in their mouth.”

    A third barrier is fear of being associated with negative stereotypes of smokeless tobacco users. In my previous research, smokeless users were perceived as being mostly men, “biker guys and baseball players.” There were mentions of “gross people” with brown or black teeth.

    Based on this, women were reluctant to be observed using smokeless. One said, “Folks were noticing it [the round pouch tin] in my pocket and expecting me to spit somewhere.”

    Unfamiliar, uncomfortable mouth sensations are a fourth barrier that may turn off women. In the CASAA survey, a number of women referred to “burn” or irritation as a reason for stopping smokeless use or avoiding certain brands.

    “The familiar stinging/burning sensation on the gum when trying either snus or nicotine pouches is a huge deterrent to switch to smokeless oral products, especially for women,” says Bengt Wiberg, a Swedish economist turned snus advocate and innovator. His startup company, Sting Free, markets nicotine pouches with a patented shield technology that provides flavor and nicotine sans discomfort. “I think the U.S. expression ‘You only have one chance to make a first impression’ applies very much to this issue,” he says.

    Wiberg also notes that today’s smaller, slimmer pouch products fit more comfortably in women’s mouths. Niquette seconded this, saying, “I could be talking to somebody, and you won’t know I have one in.”

    Bolyard noted that Altria’s On! product was designed to minimize some of these barriers. The can is a square shape instead of an MST-like circle and includes 20 small pouches to match the typical cigarette pack size.  

    Unexpected Benefits

    As women get better acquainted with smokeless products, they may discover unexpected benefits over other nicotine-delivery methods. Niquette appreciates the hands-free convenience of smokeless tobacco. “Women do so much stuff: We’re busy people—we cook, clean, raise kids. Sometimes your hands are full,” she points out. “So vaping or smoking is not an option.”

    “I have three computer screens; I’m typing all day,” she adds. “And I don’t have to break. I can just grab a pouch out of the can, put [it] in my mouth and keep going.”

    To ease the transition, Niquette suggests that women start with a smokeless alternative that comes in flavors they enjoy in other products, such as fruity or minty gum.

    “Not Messy or Gross Like I Thought They Would Be”

    Here is a selection of comments from 260 female members of the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association on what makes women who smoke decide to try or reject smokeless tobacco products.

    We defined “smokeless tobacco” as including nicotine pouches, snus, dip and chew. However, we learned that unfamiliarity with these products extends to the terminology. One wrote, “I’m confused; I thought vaping was smokeless tobacco?”

    What would make women consider a smokeless product? The most common response was “nothing.” This included variations such as “threat of death,” “a million dollars,” or less hyperbolically, “a vaping ban.” However, a few respondents were open-minded: “I have no idea what it is, but this email was enough to have me interested. I currently vape.”

    Factors listed that might make smokeless products appealing included: not having to spit, smaller size, “a bigger spectrum of flavors,” “cleaner,” “nonstaining” and “not noticeable to others.”

    Few who had tried traditional moist smokeless tobacco found it appealing. One said, “It was convenient, and there was no annoying smoke, but it irritated my mouth a bit, and I worried about my teeth or developing cancer.” “The smell and the taste [were] overpowering, the ‘juice’ burned my mouth, spitting was gross, but swallowing was even worse,” said another.

    But tobacco-free pouches, and to a lesser extent snus, found some favor. A user of both said they are “not messy or gross like I thought they would be and are advertised in the media.” Reasons for trying these products among those who use(d) them include not being able to smoke or vape at work or while traveling; wanting to quit vaping (“to give my lungs a break”), ease of access (“Vaping products became less available online … pouches were available at our convenience store”), ease of use, and curiosity.

    Other positive comments included “Liked that it was discreet and just nicotine”; “It works just as well as the smoking of something, and it’s easy to just spit it out when you have enough”; “Use to get through the day at work without having to take a break. I liked how they curb cravings; the flavors and the size of the pouch makes it easy to be discreet”; and “Can do them anywhere. Try these pouches!! No smoke, but satisfaction given.”

    Women who tried and stopped using pouches gave a variety of reasons. Some missed the “hand-to-mouth action—still wanted to smoke.” Others complained of hiccups, nausea or irritation: “I’m not a big fan of pouches because they burn the inside of my cheeks.” A few mentioned other sources of discomfort, such as “uncomfortable material that hurts my gums/mouth” or too much bulk. There was also just difficulty getting used to this type of product: “Flavors were good, but it was weird having something in my mouth that I wasn’t supposed to be chewing.” Some disliked the taste.

    Because “smokeless” received various interpretations, many women left comments on other nicotine products, including gums, lozenges, tablets or sprays. These received a similar range of positive comments and complaints. This supports the idea that women seeking alternatives to cigarettes may have to try a variety of products and brands to find their fit. As one wrote, “Try it if it will benefit your health and you’re OK with it. To each their own.”

    In short, it’s clear that many women hold strong, perhaps outdated stereotypes of smokeless tobacco. Many will never try it. However, there appears to be an untapped demand for the benefits some women report from modern oral nicotine products: a discreet product to use where no smoke or vapor is allowed or a hands-free product that gives nicotine and flavor without effort. –C.K.O

    Cheryl K. Olson is a California-based public health researcher who specializes in behavioral health issues and consults on tobacco product behaviors via McKinney Regulatory Science Advisors. She spent 15 years on the faculty of Harvard Medical School.
  • Modified-Risk Orders for Copenhagen Snuff

    Modified-Risk Orders for Copenhagen Snuff

    Photo: Altria Group

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co.’s (UST) Copenhagen Classic Snuff, a loose moist snuff smokeless tobacco product, to be marketed as a modified-risk tobacco product (MRTP). Copenhagen’s moist snuff smokeless tobacco product has been marketed in the U.S. for years without modified-risk information.

    The FDA’s action now allows UST to market the product as a modified-risk product with the claim: “If you smoke, consider this: Switching completely to this product from cigarettes reduces risk of lung cancer.”

    After a rigorous review of the available evidence, including recommendations from the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, public comments and other available scientific information, the FDA says it concluded that the specific claim related to lung cancer risk is scientifically accurate with respect to Copenhagen Classic Snuff. The review also found the public health gains are unlikely to be offset by nonusers starting to use the product.

    UST will be required to conduct post-market surveillance and studies that include an assessment of product users’ behavior, understanding and any previous use of cigarettes as well as a scientific model to assess continued impact on population health.

    This modified-risk granted order will expire in five years.

  • EU Lawmaker Urges Snus Legalization

    EU Lawmaker Urges Snus Legalization

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Johan Nissinen, a Swedish member of the European Parliament, has urged the EU to legalize snus, according to  Snusforumet.

    “Swedish snus and nicotine pouches are better options than cigarettes,” Nissinen said. “We can get rid of cigarettes once and for all thanks to snus and nicotine pouches. We need to highlight countries such as Sweden, but also Great Britain, where both Public Health England and the NHS [National Health Service] have encouraged citizens to use e-cigarettes instead of traditional combustible tobacco products to advance public health. It’s a further step in an already multi-year government health initiative aiming to make the U.K. completely smoke-free by 2030.”

    “Sweden is proof of the public health advantages that come from embracing snus and nicotine pouches instead of cigarettes,” he said. “We need to do more to highlight the public health benefits. Sweden should also push to ensure the internal market is open for legal, equivalent products. If beer can be sold within the EU, wine should be too. If the sale of Coca-Cola is permitted, so must Pepsi, and so on. The same principle should apply to snus. If deadly cigarettes are permitted throughout the internal market, then a lower risk equivalent like snus should be as well.”

  • Belgium Health Minister Pushes For Pouch Ban

    Belgium Health Minister Pushes For Pouch Ban

    Photo: Liudmila

    The Belgian health minister, Frank Vandenbroucke, has called for a ban on nicotine pouches, citing concerns about youth exposure to tobacco products.

    “Our goal is to prevent our children and young people from smoking,” Vandenbroucke said. “If you are fully committed to a smoke-free generation, you must ensure that young people come into less contact with smoking or anything related to it.”

    Nicotine pouches are popular with youth, according to The Brussels Times, because they are easy to use, like snus, which is banned in the EU except for Sweden, but without the tobacco, and because they are cheaper than other tobacco products. Dutch research has shown that nicotine pouches are addictive and cause harm to the brain.

    “These nicotine pouches, like electronic cigarettes and vaping, can be a steppingstone to smoking at an early age,” Vandenbroucke said. “That is why we are resolutely opting for a ban on them. We are doing this because protecting the health of children and young people is an absolute priority.”

  • Pouch Trade Secrets Dispute Settled

    Pouch Trade Secrets Dispute Settled

    Photo: Andrii

    Kretek International, Modoral and Swedish Match have settled a legal dispute relating to nicotine pouch trade secrets, reports Law360.

    In 2020, Swedish Match alleged that Kretek and its subsidiary Dryft Sciences, as well as Modoral, misappropriated six trade secrets concerning the manufacturing and formulation of nicotine pouches.

    The defendants all denied Swedish Match’s claims and said they don’t owe the company any damages.

    Swedish Match sells nicotine pouch products under the name Zyn based on U.S. Patent No. 9,161,908 and trade secrets that it bought from Swedish nicotine company TillCe. According to Swedish Match, one of TillCe’s affiliates in 2016 breached its agreements with Swedish Match by selling the trade secrets to Kretek, which formed Dryft Sciences to sell products in competition with Swedish Match.

    Kretek then formed Dryft Sciences to sell products that misappropriated Swedish Match’s trade secrets, the complaint states.

    In November 2020, BAT—which owns Modoral’s parent company Reynolds American—bought Dryft Sciences’ nicotine pouch business and its product line.

    After Swedish Match informed BAT that it owned the U.S. patent and other trade secret information, Modoral filed a declaratory judgment action for noninfringement and also sought invalidity of the patent as well as for no misappropriation of Swedish Match’s trade secrets, the complaint states.

    On Jan. 19, U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. entered partial judgment in favor of Modoral, finding that Swedish Match couldn’t establish that Modoral’s accused product infringed any of the asserted claims of the patent.

    In their trial briefs filed earlier this month, Modoral and Kretek both argued that Swedish Match can’t sustain its trade secret misappropriation claims because its alleged trade secrets aren’t actually secret.

  • FDA Accepts L!X Pouches’ PMTA

    FDA Accepts L!X Pouches’ PMTA

    Image: TJP Labs

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review TJP Labs’ premarket tobacco product application for L!X nicotine pouches. 

    “TJP Labs created L!X nicotine pouches for adult (21+) users of nicotine-containing products who cannot or choose not to discontinue nicotine use, especially those who wish to transition to noncombustible, oral-use products,” said TJP Labs CEO David Richmond-Peck in a statement.

    “The acceptance of our application by the FDA showcases our team’s dedication to providing adult users with alternatives that can potentially reduce the harm associated with traditional combustible tobacco products.

    “Our facility’s Health Canada Drug Establishment License (DEL), Natural Health Products Site-License, ISO 9001:2015, HACCP and cGMP certifications speak to the rigorous quality standards at TJP Labs and will further bolster our ability to service high-volume international markets.”

    TJP Labs is a full-service contract manufacturer of premier next-generation products, focusing on modern oral nicotine pouches and oral delivery solutions for caffeine and other nutraceutical products. The company is headquartered in Pickering, Ontario, Canada.

    L!X nicotine pouches are marketed by TJP Labs’ subsidiary L!X Innovations.

  • Study Shows Velo Offers Reduced Risk

    Study Shows Velo Offers Reduced Risk

    Photo: BAT

    Users of BAT’s Velo modern nicotine pouch showed significant reduced risk of smoking-related diseases compared to smokers, according to a new cross-sectional clinical study published in Biomarkers.

    The study included participants who had been using Velo exclusively for over six months as well as current smokers, former smokers and never-smokers. For the Velo consumers and current cigarette smokers, usage patterns and overall consumption were not controlled under the study protocol as the aim was to assess the impact among people using the products in their “normal” way rather than in a controlled way. Four different groups were enrolled and studied.

    The results showed that the levels for the biomarkers of exposure, based on priority toxicants as defined by the World Health Organization, were substantially lower in Velo consumers compared with smokers. The data also showed favorable differences between the Velo consumers and smokers in the majority of the biomarkers of potential harm, with four achieving statistical significance and the others having similar levels across the Velo consumers, former and never smoker groups.

    A single set of samples of blood, urine and other clinical measurements was tested for certain toxicants and a range of biomarkers thought to be linked to the development of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

    “These results add further evidence that supports the important contribution Velo can make to tobacco harm reduction.”

    David O’Reilly, director of scientific research, BAT

    “These results are very important for Velo and the modern oral nicotine product category,” said David O’Reilly, director of scientific research at BAT, in a statement.

    “They build on the extensive scientific evidence, including epidemiological data, that already exists for oral tobacco and add to the weight of evidence that supports our belief that Velo is a reduced-risk product for smokers who completely switch from cigarettes as compared to continued smoking. We have already generated data that shows Velo has a toxicant profile better than snus and comparable to nicotine-replacement therapy. These results add further evidence that supports the important contribution Velo can make to tobacco harm reduction.”

    Based on the biomarkers measured, compared to smokers, Velo consumers who had been using the product exclusively showed significantly lower levels in biomarkers of exposure to priority tobacco toxicants; significant favorable differences in a biomarker of potential harm relevant to lung cancer risk; significant favorable differences in a number of biomarkers of potential harm relevant to cardiovascular disease; and significant favorable differences in a biomarker of potential harm relevant to general inflammation.

    For the biomarkers that showed no significant difference between the Velo consumers and smokers, similar levels were observed between the Velo and former and never-smoker groups.

    Participants were based in Denmark and Sweden, aged 19–55 years old and in good general health.