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Tag: Nicotine

  • Altria and KT&G Partner in Pursuit of Modern Nicotine Growth

    Altria and KT&G Partner in Pursuit of Modern Nicotine Growth

    Altria Group, Inc. and KT&G Corporation announced they have signed a non-binding global collaboration memorandum of understanding (MOU) “to pursue joint growth opportunities in modern oral nicotine, non-nicotine wellness products, and operational efficiency in traditional tobacco.” The partnership builds on Altria’s long-term goal of expanding into adjacent international categories beyond cigarettes, first outlined in 2023.

    The companies said their complementary strengths would accelerate innovation and market expansion. As an initial step, an Altria subsidiary will acquire an ownership interest in Sweden-based Another Snus Factory (ASF), concurrent with KT&G’s purchase of the company, giving both parties a foothold in the LOOP nicotine pouch brand. They also plan to evaluate ways to expand Altria’s on! and on! PLUS oral nicotine products to select markets.

    Beyond nicotine, the collaboration extends into the U.S. wellness and energy space through Altria and KT&G’s Korea Ginseng Corporation, which will jointly explore new product opportunities. The two firms will also work to improve operational efficiency in traditional tobacco businesses, with the aim of strengthening competitiveness and creating transferable capabilities for future international smoke-free ventures.

  • CAPHRA: Facts, Not Myths, Must Guide Harm Reduction

    CAPHRA: Facts, Not Myths, Must Guide Harm Reduction

    The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) released a new white paper, “Understanding Nicotine: The Facts, Not the Myths,” warning that persistent misinformation about nicotine is undermining global efforts to reduce smoking-related harm.

    “Nicotine is not what causes cancer or heart disease. It’s the toxic smoke from burning tobacco that kills,” said Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA. “Decades of fear-based messaging have confused the public and even health professionals.”

    CAPHRA’s research highlights that over 60% of smokers still mistakenly believe nicotine is the primary cause of cancer, discouraging them from switching to vastly safer smoke-free alternatives like vapes, nicotine pouches, patches, and gums.

    The white paper emphasizes that while nicotine can lead to dependence, its use in non-combustible forms carries only a fraction of the risk associated with smoking. CAPHRA urges governments to embrace risk-proportionate policies and stop demonizing nicotine.

    “It’s time to move beyond outdated myths and focus on harm reduction strategies that save lives,” Loucas said. “Public health policies must be grounded in science, not stigma.”

  • Nicotine May Improve Cognitive Issues

    Nicotine May Improve Cognitive Issues

    A growing body of research suggests that nicotine patches and gum, traditionally used to help people quit smoking, may offer off-label benefits for treating various cognitive issues like ADHD, Alzheimer’s, brain fog, schizophrenia, depression, and Parkinson’s disease. Doctors like Edward Levin (Duke University) and Paul Newhouse (Vanderbilt) have found that nicotine can stimulate brain receptors tied to attention and memory.

    One 2023 study reported that nicotine patches improved concentration in long COVID brain fog sufferers, sparking interest from users like Slate writer Hannah Singleton, who found that low-dose nicotine gum dramatically improved her focus.

    Unlike tobacco products, nicotine patches deliver the substance in controlled, low-risk doses, making them potentially safe for non-smokers. However, experts caution that this remains experimental, with no FDA-approved protocols yet. Still, amid ongoing stimulant shortages, nicotine’s role as a cognitive aid is gaining attention.

  • Dutch Switching Focus from Tobacco to Nicotine 

    Dutch Switching Focus from Tobacco to Nicotine 

    The nicotine content in some tobacco-free smoking products is 18 to 25 times the maximum advisory amount for tobacco products, Dutch health institute RIVM concluded following an investigation on behalf of the health ministry. As the EU has no official regulations in place for nicotine limits in tobacco-free products, the RIVM is recommending the limit be the same as the existing limits for tobacco products.

    Esther Croes, an expert on tobacco at public health institute Trimbos, said strict regulations are needed for products that contain nicotine but no tobacco, and is calling for a ban on new nicotine products entering the market.

    “Manufacturers have done this before, as with Swedish snus,” she said. “That also used no tobacco, but cellulose with nicotine. Tomorrow they will use something else. We have already seen nicotine-infused toothpicks. None of this falls under tobacco legislation.” 

  • Survey: Two-Thirds of U.S. Healthcare Practitioners are Mistaken About Nicotine

    Survey: Two-Thirds of U.S. Healthcare Practitioners are Mistaken About Nicotine

    A new survey, funded by Philip Morris International’s U.S. affiliates (PMI U.S.), has found that 47% of U.S. healthcare practitioners—rising to 59% among medical professionals who indicate that half or more of their patients smoke cigarettes—mistakenly believe nicotine is a carcinogen, despite scientific consensus that the harms of smoking primarily stem not from nicotine but from the burning of tobacco. Another 19% are unsure. Practitioners surveyed generally agree that smoke-free products—such as nicotine pouches and other noncombustible alternatives— are addictive and not risk free but still pose less risk than cigarettes. However, the survey results also show that misconceptions about nicotine persist and are obstructing progress on tobacco harm reduction.

    Povaddo LLC fielded the survey among 1,565 medical professionals, including physicians, nurses, and mental health practitioners, across the United States between March 10 and April 5, 2025. The survey results highlighted that:

    Despite decades of research as part of tobacco control efforts, misconceptions about nicotine are pervasive among healthcare professionals and others. The survey findings demonstrate an urgent need for healthcare regulators to provide unbiased, scientifically substantiated information about nicotine and nicotine products to the healthcare community. Many clinicians report uncertainty about which products are FDA-authorized and point to a lack of up-to-date information as barriers to more frequent and informed patient guidance regarding authorized smoke-free products. This is critical at a time when an estimated 480,000 Americans die each year from smoking-related illnesses.

    “Healthcare professionals are at the heart of patient care and need reliable, science-based information to help their patients make informed choices,” said Stacey Kennedy, CEO of PMI U.S. “These findings reinforce the urgent need for transparent, evidence-driven communication from the FDA and other health authorities about the full spectrum of tobacco and nicotine products. We encourage the agency to provide timely, scientifically validated guidance to healthcare practitioners on FDA-authorized smoke-free alternatives. Ensuring clinicians have access to accurate information is essential to help adults 21+ who smoke make better choices and improve public health.”

    This need for clear, science-based information is especially urgent given the survey’s findings about persistent misconceptions within the medical community that may result in incomplete or inaccurate information being shared with patients.

    “One of the most striking findings from this research is the prevalence of misinformation about nicotine—even among otherwise well-informed healthcare professionals,” said Matt Holman, vice president of U.S. scientific engagement and regulatory strategy at PMI U.S. and former director of the Office of Science at the FDA. “Addressing these misconceptions with robust, evidence-based communication from authorities like the FDA is crucial to helping providers guide their patients and support harm reduction.”

    PMI has invested more than $14 billion globally in innovative smoke-free products and remains committed to giving adults 21+ access to FDA-authorized better alternatives.

    Read the full findings of the Tobacco Harm Reduction: U.S. Medical Professionals Survey (2025) at https://www.pmi.com/us/medical-professionals-see-greater-role-for-FDA. Access PMI’s science at www.pmiscience.com and fact sheet on nicotine here.

  • Survey: Two-Thirds of U.S. Healthcare Practitioners are Mistaken About Nicotine

    Survey: Two-Thirds of U.S. Healthcare Practitioners are Mistaken About Nicotine

    A new survey, funded by Philip Morris International’s U.S. affiliates (PMI U.S.), has found that 47% of U.S. healthcare practitioners—rising to 59% among medical professionals who indicate that half or more of their patients smoke cigarettes—mistakenly believe nicotine is a carcinogen, despite scientific consensus that the harms of smoking primarily stem not from nicotine but from the burning of tobacco. Another 19% are unsure. Practitioners surveyed generally agree that smoke-free products—such as nicotine pouches and other noncombustible alternatives— are addictive and not risk free but still pose less risk than cigarettes. However, the survey results also show that misconceptions about nicotine persist and are obstructing progress on tobacco harm reduction.

    Povaddo LLC fielded the survey among 1,565 medical professionals, including physicians, nurses, and mental health practitioners, across the United States between March 10 and April 5, 2025. The survey results highlighted that:

    Despite decades of research as part of tobacco control efforts, misconceptions about nicotine are pervasive among healthcare professionals and others. The survey findings demonstrate an urgent need for healthcare regulators to provide unbiased, scientifically substantiated information about nicotine and nicotine products to the healthcare community. Many clinicians report uncertainty about which products are FDA-authorized and point to a lack of up-to-date information as barriers to more frequent and informed patient guidance regarding authorized smoke-free products. This is critical at a time when an estimated 480,000 Americans die each year from smoking-related illnesses.

    “Healthcare professionals are at the heart of patient care and need reliable, science-based information to help their patients make informed choices,” said Stacey Kennedy, CEO of PMI U.S. “These findings reinforce the urgent need for transparent, evidence-driven communication from the FDA and other health authorities about the full spectrum of tobacco and nicotine products. We encourage the agency to provide timely, scientifically validated guidance to healthcare practitioners on FDA-authorized smoke-free alternatives. Ensuring clinicians have access to accurate information is essential to help adults 21+ who smoke make better choices and improve public health.”

    This need for clear, science-based information is especially urgent given the survey’s findings about persistent misconceptions within the medical community that may result in incomplete or inaccurate information being shared with patients.

    “One of the most striking findings from this research is the prevalence of misinformation about nicotine—even among otherwise well-informed healthcare professionals,” said Matt Holman, vice president of U.S. scientific engagement and regulatory strategy at PMI U.S. and former director of the Office of Science at the FDA. “Addressing these misconceptions with robust, evidence-based communication from authorities like the FDA is crucial to helping providers guide their patients and support harm reduction.”

    PMI has invested more than $14 billion globally in innovative smoke-free products and remains committed to giving adults 21+ access to FDA-authorized better alternatives.

    Read the full findings of the Tobacco Harm Reduction: U.S. Medical Professionals Survey (2025) at https://www.pmi.com/us/medical-professionals-see-greater-role-for-FDA.

    Access PMI’s science at www.pmiscience.com and fact sheet on nicotine here.

  • New Study Sounds Alarm on Amount of Nicotine in Vapes

    New Study Sounds Alarm on Amount of Nicotine in Vapes

    A new study conducted by the CDC Foundation and Truth Initiative shows that between February 2020 and June 2024, while the number of e-cigarette units sold each month rose by 34.7%, the total monthly nicotine content sold increased by 249.2%. 

    “Measurements that take into account both e-liquid volume and nicotine concentration paint a more realistic picture of the size and strength of e-cigarettes being sold in stores today,” said Fatma Romeh M. Ali, PhD, health economist and consultant with the CDC Foundation. “Measuring e-cigarette sales in milligrams of nicotine, rather than just counting products, is critical to understanding the public health impact.”

    Published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the study says the increase is largely driven by disposable devices. The authors reason that because nicotine can be purchased cheaper, it is now more likely to end up with young users, and because there is more nicotine present, those users are likely to become addicted.

    “A disposable e-cigarette today contains significantly more nicotine than it did just a few years ago, posing greater addiction risks—especially for young users,” said Megan Diaz, PhD, research director at Truth Initiative. “These findings raise serious concerns about youth access and affordability because disposables are not only the most popular e-cigarette product among youth, but they’re also the cheapest way to obtain large amounts of nicotine and they come in appealing flavors.”

  • Study Warns Flavored Nicotine May Be More Addictive

    Study Warns Flavored Nicotine May Be More Addictive

    Certain nicotine flavors could be more addictive than others, according to researchers from the Yale School of Medicine, who found that rats preferred the combination of flavorings and nicotine to just the flavorings or unflavored nicotine on their own. The study suggests that sweeteners play a greater role in nicotine preference for females, while flavors are more influential for males.

    Published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, the effects of the sweeteners sucrose and saccharin, as well as the commonly used flavor additive cinnamaldehyde (the principal chemical of cinnamon) in nicotine were tested on rats. Female rats showed the highest nicotine preference when combined with sucrose, while males preferred nicotine combined with cinnamon. They also found menthol flavoring increases oral nicotine intake in male rats but not in females.

    The study says that although flavors do not significantly impact nicotine absorption, they significantly influence user satisfaction and increase the likelihood that people will continue using nicotine products.

  • France Extends Ban to Nicotine Pouches

    France Extends Ban to Nicotine Pouches

    Two weeks after banning disposable e-cigarettes, France notified the European Commission it would ban the sale of nicotine pouches as well, joining countries that include Austria, Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg.

    “The French decree follows in the footsteps of the decision on 13 February to ban disposable e-cigarettes,” a tobacco industry source told Euractiv. “French regulators have been monitoring developments in the new tobacco products sector. Health authorities became alarmed, and the government decided to activate the legislative levers available to it.”

    With an expected annual growth rate of 6.2%, the European nicotine pouch market could reach €1.06 billion by 2030. Europe’s 2014 Tobacco Products Directive covered all traditional tobacco-containing products and included provisions for new tobacco products, however, nicotine pouches contain no tobacco, and thus remain unregulated at the EU level.

    Tobacco and nicotine products are not on the EU’s agenda for 2025, however, the Polish Presidency Council (which sits atop the Commission along with Denmark and Cyprus until June) is looking to move forward with discussions for taxing alternative tobacco products and possibly revising the Tobacco Products Directive.

  • Fast-Dissolving Nicotine Strip Makes First Cut for Grant

    Fast-Dissolving Nicotine Strip Makes First Cut for Grant

    CTT Pharmaceutical Holdings said it has advanced past the initial round in its application for a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for its patented fast-dissolving nicotine strips. The company is now among a few thousand remaining applicants from an initial pool of over 12,000 applicants. Acceptance into the program would give CTT government backing and allow for extensive research and testing to help in the development of its technology.

    “To make it past the first round of applicants is a huge accomplishment by itself and shows that the NSF sees potential value for our technology within the tobacco industry,” said Ryan Khouri, CEO of CTT Pharma. “Currently there are no fast-dissolving, low-dose nicotine strips on the market, as most oral products stay in the mouth for an excessive amount of time.”

    The company’s technology aims to address a significant public health issue, as classified by WHO. CTT said it expects to receive a response by late April.