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Nicotine pouches are white pre-portioned pouches containing nicotine but no tobacco, and are described as either similar to or a tobacco-free version of snus. No combustion is involved. The user puts a pouch between the upper lip and gum, and leaves it there while the nicotine and taste is being released. When finished, the pouch is disposed of. The small pouches are used like chewing tobacco, but the user does not need to spit, as the contents of the pouches stay inside the pouches during use. Nicotine pouches are shelf-stable and do not need refrigeration, but will dry up if left outside of the packaging.

There is no independent testing of their constituents, exposure or biomarkers of effects. Research analyzing their nicotine delivery is unavailable. The pouches are sold in an array of flavors. In 2019, five big tobacco companies offered nicotine pouch products.

Usage

No studies are available to determine if smokers would switch to nicotine pouches or if they would continue to smoke and use nicotine pouches, resulting in dual use. Nicotine pouches typically cost about as much as a pack of regular cigarettes. Unlike vaping products, they require no batteries and no accessory device.

Nicotine pouches may entice youth as well as young adult never-smokers because they are available in an array of fruit flavors and may be used unobtrusively.

In Norway the brand Zonnic is sold in pharmacies as a form of Nicotine replacement therapy, approved by Norwegian Medicines Agency, for smoking cessation.

Contents

Nicotine pouches often contains food grade fillers, water, salt, flavorings and nicotine. The nicotine content among nicotine pouch brands differ per pouch. Nicotine pouches are sold in an array of fruit flavors such as black cherry and citrus. Other flavors include peppermint and coffee.

Research

Although nicotine pouches have the possibility of being a reduced risk product, there is no independent testing of their constituents, exposure or biomarkers of effects. Research analyzing their nicotine delivery is unavailable. The pouches contain the addictive chemical nicotine.

Opposition

Advocacy groups opposed to the introduction of nicotine pouches in Kenya have protested that they may raise the risk of cancer, heart disease, and reproductive or developmental harms. The Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance said that given the higher levels of some toxic chemicals, and what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said was a lack of medical data showing the pouches are safer than cigarettes (as claimed by manufacturer British American Tobacco), the government should not license the product.

Brands

Dryft is owned by Kretek International and it is sold in the US. The nicotine content for Dryft is 2 and 7 mg.

Lyft is owned by British American Tobacco and it is sold in the UK and Sweden. The nicotine content for Lyft is 4 and 6 mg. In 2019, British American Tobacco started selling nicotine pouches in Kenya.

Nordic Spirit is owned by Japan Tobacco International and it is sold in Switzerland and Sweden. The Nordic Spirit pouches contain plant-based fibers, nicotine, additives, and flavorings and are intended to be put beneath the upper or lower lip and are absorbed through the gums.

Altria purchased 80% of the On! nicotine pouch company. It is sold in Sweden, Japan and the US.

Velo is owned by R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company and it is sold in the US. The nicotine content for Velo is 2 and 4 mg. Velo states that the contents in their products consist of nicotine obtained from the tobacco plant, microcrystalline cellulose, water, salt, sucralose, citric acid, and artificial flavor.

Zone X is owned by Imperial Tobacco and it is sold in the UK.

ZYN is owned by Swedish Match and it is sold in Europe and the US. Zyn states that the contents in their products consist of pharmaceutical-grade nicotine salt, hydroxypropyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, maltitol, gum arabic, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, acesulfame K, and food-grade flavorings.

Classification

It is assumed they are classified as tobacco products in the US because they contain nicotine obtained from tobacco. It is not clear how they are classified in other countries.

Tobacco-free nicotine pouches were for sale in Norway from 2014 to 2018, under the name Epok, similar to the Swedish Lyft apart from the name. In June 2018 the Norwegian Directorate of Health forced British American Tobacco Norway to remove Epok from sale or face daily fines of 150 000 NOK, due to reasons which were described as "ridiculous" by Norwegian press and politicians. The Norwegian Directorate of Health argued that since Epok didn't contain any tobacco it were a new form of nicotine product, distinct from the other forms of snus approved in Norway. New forms of nicotine products are extremely unlikely to get approved, the nicotine pouch brand ZYN had already been rejected approval twice for an extremely similar product.

Within days of the ban Epok was re-introduced to the Norwegian market, with a minute amount of bleached tobacco added, to qualify as an already approved form of nicotine product. As of February 2020 it is still sold in Norwegian grocery stores.

References

1. ^ Robichaud, Meagan O.; Seidenberg, Andrew B.; Byron, M. Justin (2019). "Tobacco companies introduce 'tobacco-free' nicotine pouches". Tobacco Control: tobaccocontrol-2019-055321. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2019-055321. ISSN 0964-4563. PMID 31753961.
2. ^ Klausen, Marte (2018-07-26). "Disse snusboksene forsvinner fra butikkene". Dagbladet.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2020-02-03.
3. Klausen, Marte (2018-07-25). "Bråstans for snus uten tobakk". Dagbladet.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2020-02-02.
4. "LYFT | Vitt utan Tobak! | Nettotobak!". Nettotobak.com. Retrieved 2020-02-03. LYFT är det senaste inom helvitt snus{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
5. ^ Buehler, Hannah (16 October 2019). "Concern over nicotine pouches targeting teens". WKBW-TV. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
6. "Zonnic Niconovum munnpulver i porsjonspose - Felleskatalogen Pasientutgave". www.felleskatalogen.no. Archived from the original on 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
7. "Røykeslutt - legemidler - helsenorge.no". helsenorge.no. Archived from the original on 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
8. "Zonnic Porsjonsposer 2 el. 4 mg nikotin | Zonnic". www.zonnic.no. Archived from the original on 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
9. ^ Kabale, Nasibo (8 June 2019). "Lobby has raised an alarm, saying the introduction of pouches could result in increased risk for cancer". Daily Nation. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
10. "Grosskonzerne reissen das Snus-Geschäft an sich". 8 November 2019. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
11. Cronin, Eilis (3 September 2019). "JTI launches Nordic Spirit nicotine pouches". Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
12. "Why did BAT kill the EPOK brand for LYFT?". SnusCENTRAL. 2019-03-18. Archived from the original on 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
13. "EPOK changes name to LYFT - snus News - BuySnus.com". www.buysnus.com. Archived from the original on 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
14. Journalist, Lene Skogstrøm. "Denne snusen blir nå trukket tilbake fra hyllene. Årsak: Den inneholder ikke tobakk". Aftenposten. Retrieved 2020-02-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
15. Teigen, Espen (2019-06-26). "Denne snusboksen gjør ham til lovbryter: – Det strider mot all sunn fornuft". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2020-02-02.
16. "Epok | Meny.no". www.meny.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2020-02-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
17. "Epok - Kolonial.no". Kolonial.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2020-02-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

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