Setting sensible limits
Nicotine pouches can support the UK’s smoke-free ambitions, but only if they are regulated proportionately. Dr. Marina Murphy, Senior Director of Scientific Affairs at Haypp Group, sets out why the UK needs a 20mg limit on nicotine pouches
Nicotine pouches are a modern oral nicotine product that deliver nicotine without the toxicants associated with cigarette smoking. The availability of non-combustible nicotine products such as snus and nicotine pouches in Sweden is a key factor in the country’s achievement of smoke-free status and reducing smoking-related harm. Achieving smoke-free status is a major national milestone for the UK and nicotine pouches have the potential to play a meaningful role in this. However, to realise this potential, a proportionate regulatory framework is required – one that maximises the harm reduction potential of the product while minimising risks of misuse. We believe that setting a legal upper limit of 20mg of nicotine per pouch should form the cornerstone of an effective harm reduction framework.
At Haypp Group, our work is guided by a simple aim: to support efforts to reduce the harm caused by smoking. Although the business began in Sweden, we now serve over 1.1 million customers across the UK, USA, Sweden, Germany, Norway, and Switzerland. We are a global publicly traded company, and we take our responsibilities to our customers – and to society – seriously. We have invested heavily in stringent age-verification systems on our UK platforms and provide clear, evidence-based information so that our consumers understand the products they are choosing. We also require all nicotine pouch products that we sell to be independently tested to verify quality and safety.
We have chosen not to sell any nicotine pouch products that contain more than 20mg of nicotine per pouch. This is a voluntary standard that we have set for ourselves. We realise that some consumers will choose to shop elsewhere, but we consider this limit to be responsible and proportionate.
Our standard is based on the science. To be an effective alternative to cigarettes, pouches must deliver nicotine in a manner that is competitive with cigarettes. A maximum level of 20mg per pouch achieves this by providing a nicotine experience comparable to a cigarette. Higher levels of nicotine are unnecessary for switching and may not be in the best interests of consumers. Some products on the UK market advertise levels of up to 150mg nicotine per pouch. This is excessive, unnecessary to encourage switching, and should be addressed through regulation.
There are three reasons why a 20mg limit is the right policy choice. Firstly, it strikes a balance between preserving an effective alternative for adult smokers while protecting consumers from ultra strength products. Secondly, it matches existing industry standards, as both the Swedish Institute for Standards and the British Standards Institution recommend an upper limit of 20mg of nicotine per pouch. Finally, setting a 20mg limit provides a clear and easily understood standard for consumers. While pouches and vapes deliver nicotine in different ways and direct comparisons are not exact, aligning the limit with the familiar 20mg/ml limit for vapes may help consumers understand and feel confident in adopting this limit.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will grant the government the power to limit the amount of nicotine in a pouch. The government should take action to set a maximum limit of 20mg per pouch as soon as possible. This will ensure an effective nicotine alternative is available to smokers, while protecting consumers from ultra-strength products.
For more information please visit: www.haypp.com/uk.
