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Tag: tobacco-free

  • Tobacco-Free Pouches Are Not Milder Alternative for Mucosa: Study 

    Tobacco-Free Pouches Are Not Milder Alternative for Mucosa: Study 

    A clinical study by Folktandvården Stockholm and the Karolinska Institutet found that tobacco-free nicotine pouches and traditional tobacco-containing snus produce different oral mucosal reactions. While both products were associated with increased tissue thickening as use increased, nicotine pouch users more frequently exhibited inflammatory changes such as erythema and, in some cases, ulceration, making their effects less predictable than those seen with traditional snus.

    The study, which evaluated 272 adults aged 18–30, found no increased risk of cavities or periodontitis in either group over up to six years of use, but researchers said the findings highlight the need for further research into the oral health effects of nicotine pouches and different flavor formulations.

  • PMI Launches Tobacco-Free Heat Stick

    PMI Launches Tobacco-Free Heat Stick

    Image: Reuters

    Philip Morris International unveiled a zero-tobacco stick for use with its heat-not-burn device IQOS, which may help the company avoid tax and other regulations that affect its tobacco products in some markets, according to Reuters.

    The new sticks, called LEVIA, do not contain tobacco but rather a “nontobacco substrate” infused with nicotine. It offers flavors including tobacco, menthol with blueberry and peppermint.

    LEVIA may avoid the heavy taxes or other controls imposed on other tobacco products, according to CEO Jacek Olczak. He said it “may not be subject to flavor regulations in some jurisdictions” and that it “doesn’t fit” in existing fiscal categories.

    A PMI spokesperson declined to comment on when and where LEVIA would launch or what substance replaces the tobacco.