New products, same addiction

The Star

3 days ago

HEATED Tobacco Products (HTPs) and nicotine pouches are the latest offerings that are being targeted at women and children.
Like e-cigarettes, or vapes, researcher Dr Sophie Braznell expects these products to grow in popularity among females and kids – demographics where prevalence of addiction to nicotine and cigarettes was previously relatively low.
'Post-pandemic particularly, we have seen a shift where most countries have witnessed the ramifications of vape use particularly in youth.
'Public opinion is now going against e-cigarettes and that has opened the market up to HTPs and nicotine pouches,' said Braznell, who is a research associate (coordination) in the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath, United Kingdom.
She pointed out that these products, often displayed next to candy and snacks, are being promoted in the same way as vapes on social media with young models and influencers targeting children.
Braznell: There are many addictive products in the market now.
Women, she added, are also on the radar.
Like vapes, these products come in attractive colours and flavours, are easy to conceal, and are very popular in the UK and US, said Braznell.
The difference between HTPs and vapes is that the former contains actual tobacco leaves. Nicotine pouches on the other hand, were inspired by snus, a Swedish invention, and look like little pillows in trendy, collectible cans, she explained.
Introduced in 2018, nicotine pouches started taking off in the last 18 months.
'Kids are popping it into their mouths before a test or before they do their homework because it wakes them up and gives them a buzz.
'Like coffee – the strength, or nicotine content, is indicated as dots.
'Three dots is mild and six is very strong.
'I haven't seen a can with one dot, meaning that users start on nicotine at a very high dose,' she said, adding that some youths have reported passing out, throwing up, and fainting on their first try.
'Comprising a sleek, sophisticated device and tobacco sticks that are like cigarettes, HTPs have been sold separately as two components to exploit loopholes in the law.
'Where the sale of tobacco sticks are strictly regulated, the heating device is marketed separately as it does not contain tobacco leaves,' she said.
Snus, a smokeless tobacco product from Sweden, is said to have inspiredthe mass production of nicotine pouches. — AFP
In some countries, HTPs are heavily promoted because the tobacco regulations do not encompass new innovations, Braznell said, pointing to how regulators face an uphill challenge when the marketing goes online.
The digital sphere, she explained, represents a borderless market where there are no international regulations for tobacco and nicotine control, making it difficult for countries to prohibit online sales and marketing.
Presenting their findings at the recent World Conference on Tobacco Control, researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) shared how the country had a notably high proportion of youth- and female-targeted content, leading to the urgent need for harmonised regulation.
The findings suggest that classifying HTPs as conventional tobacco products, as is done in Ireland, could significantly reduce their online promotion and appeal.
DKFZ and Heidelberg University doctoral researcher Zauraiz Lone said promotional activity focusing on heating devices without explicitly showing tobacco sticks reveals exploitation of policy fragmentation and regulatory ambiguities.
'Strengthening digital marketing regulation and closing definitional loopholes are essential for reducing exposure, limiting uptake among younger populations, and supporting public health goals.'
STOP, a network of academic and public health organisations operating globally as part of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, said there is no clear evidence that HTPs are a better alternative to cigarettes or that they help smokers quit.
And, cigarettes are not going away anytime soon, STOP director Jorge Alday said.
'What you have is a market where there are multiple products that people can get hooked on – cigarettes, HTPs, nicotine pouches and vapes – so those addicted will never entirely quit,' Alday said, stressing that none of these products are safe, especially if you are a non-smoker.
Alday: Studies suggest that HTPs are a gateway to cigarettes.
Manufacturers are saying that these HTPs are only for smokers but their marketing campaigns seem to be focused on high street shops that look like tech or gadget shops, sporting, food, art and music events, and social media, he said.
And, studies suggest HTPs are a gateway to cigarettes, he shared.
'Make no mistake – HTPs are harmful.
'The consumer base being targeted is definitely wider than smokers who want to quit – they're at places predominantly frequented by youths,' he cautioned.
'Sleek, limited edition HTPs are being normalised through cultural marketing campaigns, making it more appealing to youth.
'Generally, young people are not smoking so they have no business using either HTPs or vapes.'
People are using many different addictive products now because there are so many in the market, Braznell said.
'These products are meant to allow users to consume nicotine in every environment they are in.
'For example, if you can't use a vape or a HTP on the plane, you can always turn to a nicotine pouch.
'Ultimately, polyuse increases your tobacco consumption and nicotine use which could have detrimental effects on your health and increase your risk of diseases.'