Tobacco Asia

Tobacco Asia 33 "The WHO's framing misses a critical distinction: the dif- ference between nicotine use and smoking," the group wrote. "By treating nicotine pouches primarily as another expression of tobacco industry harm, the report underplays their potential role for adults who smoke and need lower-risk alternatives." Laura Leigh Oyler, vice president of regulatory affairs at Nicokick.com, sharply criticized WHO's conclusions, calling the report alarmist and disconnected from what regulators have already been doing in the US. She cited years of US Food and Drug Administration reviews covering toxicology, behavior, youth use patterns, and manufacturing. "The latest FDA data shows youth use remains low, while population studies indicate that nicotine pouch users are over- whelmingly current or former users of cigarettes, smokeless to- bacco, or vapes," Oyler said. "These [nicotine pouches] are not products attracting large numbers of young people or new users. They are being used primarily by adults who already consume nicotine and are looking for lower-risk alternatives." Dr. Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, an assistant professor of health policy and management at the University of Massachusetts Am- herst, said the central issue remains combustion. "There is a large, strong body of evidence showing that giving people who smoke nicotine in another form can help them quit smoking," she said. "This is important because nicotine is not the ingredient in ciga- rettes that causes cancer, so moving people off of cigarettes onto another form of nicotine can reduce health risks." Regarding pouches specifically, she said the evidence is still developing. "We don't yet have enough evidence on wheth- er oral nicotine pouches can help people quit smoking, but large, independently funded studies are underway." The clash highlights an increasingly bitter divide over how governments should regulate smoke-free nicotine products, es- pecially those that may pose dramatically lower toxicological risk than cigarettes while still raising concerns about addiction and youth exposure. Smoke without fire The WHO report devotes far more time to marketing than to toxicology. Over and over, it argues that pouch brands are re- cycling "tobacco industry playbooks" once tied to cigarettes and later to vaping. The report covers fruit and candy flavors, Formula 1 sponsorships, influencer partnerships, and "anytime, anywhere" messaging centered on discreet use. It also targets words like "clean," "modern," "pure," and "tobacco-free," arguing that they can create a false sense of safety. A key section tracks how major tobacco multinationals have aggressively moved into pouches as cigarette sales decline. Philip Morris International now owns ZYN, the largest global nicotine pouch brand, through its acquisition of Swedish Match. British American Tobacco continues to expand VELO. Altria markets on!. WHO repeatedly suggests that these strategies can steer people toward dual use rather than a full switch. Discreet-use messaging is a major target, with slogans such as "Anytime, anywhere," "No smoke, no vapor," and "More convenient, less noticeable," which WHO says can normalize nicotine in places where smoking and vaping are restricted. "Co-marketing is designed to increase revenue by encour- aging dual (or poly) use," the report states. Howard argued that dual use should not be taken as proof that the product failed. Switching is rarely instant, and many smokers step down gradually, cutting back on cigarettes before leaving them behind. "Regulatory and public health frameworks should account for real-world consumer behavior rather than assuming every adult smoker will quit nicotine entirely in a single step," he said. Harm-reduction advocates, including Considerate Pouch- ers UK and We Vape, accused WHO of spreading misinfor- mation, saying that "no smoke" is simply accurate. "Nicotine pouches do not produce smoke or smell, and pretending oth- erwise is scientifically absurd," said Richard Crosby, director of Considerate Pouchers UK, who described the report as part of a "broad, aggressive anti-nicotine ideology." WHO also flags nicotine strength and delivery design. It says concentrations vary sharply across brands and markets, with some products promoted at 50 mg to 150 mg, and with nicotine salts and other approaches used to improve absorption and soften harshness. Yet critics argue that the report repeatedly sidesteps the most important scientific distinction in the entire nicotine debate: combustion. GINN stressed that point. "Cigarettes kill because tobac- co is burned, and smoke contains thousands of toxicants, with more than 70 documented carcinogens," the statement said. "While nicotine is addictive and not risk-free, it is not a notable cause of smoking-related cancer, lung disease, or cardiovascular mortality." Public agencies, including the US FDA, have said non- combustible products generally expose users to fewer toxicants than cigarettes. FDA has also publicly stated that evidence sug- gests nicotine pouches are "far less harmful than tobacco and even other alternatives, like vapes." The burden of truth The WHO report gives little weight to that FDA posture. Instead, critics argue that WHO often treats nicotine dependence and WHO estimates that about 160 countries lack nicotine pouch- specific regulations, including 16 that ban the products outright and 32 that regulate them to some extent. Credit: Mmmaaarrrttt, CC4.0.

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