Latest news with #nicotinepouches
The Independent
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Demand for oral nicotine pouches growing fast, British American Tobacco says
Rising global demand for oral nicotine pouches are helping boost sales for cigarette maker British American Tobacco (BAT), which has nudged up its full-year forecast. The Velo brand is growing the fastest within its so-called 'new category', which includes non-tobacco products like vapes, the business said. The pouches come in a variety of flavours and strengths and are designed to be placed between the gum and lip so nicotine can be absorbed through the mouth. Tadeu Marroco, BAT's chief executive, said he was 'excited' by the launch of loyalty scheme Velo Plus in the US. 'Globally, Velo continues to gain volume share in this fast-growing category, driven by the US and our continued leadership position in AME (Americas & Europe),' he said, highlighting a strong performance in the UK, Scandinavia and Poland. BAT said it was expecting full-year revenues to grow between 1% and 2% following a stronger-than-expected half-year performance. It had previously forecast growth of 1%. The company continues to make the bulk of its sales from traditional cigarettes, which include the Pall Mall and Camel brands. It said the segment remained 'under pressure' with the volume of sales about 9% lower across the industry over the year to date, but that it was gaining market share for brands including Lucky Strike. Mr Marroco said BAT's vape sales were being affected by 'illicit' products in the US and Canada, which were driving down sales of legal devices. BAT has previously warned that customers turning to illegal disposable vapes was hurting sales of its own vape product, Vuse, and urged a government crackdown on the market.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Convenience Store Group Urge Health Minister to Reverse Flawed Nicotine Pouch Ban to Help More Smokers Quit
TORONTO, May 31, 2025 /CNW/ - On this World No Tobacco Day, the United Korean Convenience Industry Alliance (UKCIA) is calling on newly appointed Health Minister Marjorie Michel to act decisively in correcting a harmful policy introduced by her predecessor, Mark Holland: the ban on nicotine pouches in convenience stores. Canada's corner store operators have a long, proud history of responsibly retailing age-restricted products. They are uniquely positioned to support public health objectives by helping adult smokers transition to lower-risk alternatives. Yet, under Minister Holland's tenure, the federal government banned the sale of regulated nicotine pouches in convenience stores—resulting in consumers turning instead to the black market to purchase these popular products. "Minister Michel has an opportunity to reset Canada's approach to helping smokers quit," said Kenny Shim President of UKCIA. "That starts by reversing Minister Holland's ministerial order and allow responsible retailers to offer adult consumers regulated, safer nicotine alternatives." The UKCIA urges Minister Michel and Prime Minister Mark Carney to address two urgent priorities: Reverse the Ban on Nicotine Pouches in C-StoresThis prohibition prevents adult smokers from accessing products that are widely recognized as part of a harm-reduction strategy. Regulated and approved nicotine pouches—already sold in pharmacies—should be equally available in convenience stores that operate under strict ID protocols and retail standards. Increase Penalties on Canada's Growing Illicit Market of Tobacco ProductsIllegal tobacco and nicotine products are increasingly available to consumers. These products are often sold without age checks, without health warnings, and without regulation—routinely out of the trunks of cars, online, or at unlicensed outlets. This thriving black market undermines both public health and law-abiding businesses. "Our members are on the front lines," said Shim "We see firsthand how the illegal market continues to expand while government enforcement lags behind. Meanwhile, responsible retailers are being punished for doing the right thing." Smoking rates in Canada continue to decline, thanks in part to innovation and new and less harmful alternatives. But restricting access to those very tools—while ignoring the unregulated alternatives flooding the streets—is a backwards approach. The UKCIA, which represents 2000 small businesses across the country, calls on Minister Michel to listen to their concerns and act accordingly. World No Tobacco Day should be a time to move forward—not fall behind. SOURCE United Korean Canadian Industry Association (UKCIA) View original content:
The Sun
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Brit holiday warning as major destination BANS nicotine pouches – and visitors face ‘terrifying' six-figure fine & jail
BRITS heading to France have been warned they could face five years in jail and a £320,000 fine simply for carrying nicotine pouches under radical new laws. The crackdown, which kicked in on Monday, introduces the toughest nicotine pouch ban in Europe — and experts have branded it 'terrifying' and 'completely disproportionate'. 4 4 Richard Crosby, UK director of the campaign group Considerate Pouchers, slammed the penalties, warning thousands of British tourists could now be treated like drug traffickers. He said: 'How can carrying a nicotine pouch be worse than carrying heroin and result in going to prison — let alone for five years?' Crosby added: 'The penalties being proposed by French authorities are terrifying, completely disproportionate and make no sense.' He warned the move would turn well-meaning holidaymakers into criminals overnight and hand French police an 'impossible task' of enforcement. 'The messaging for people using pouches instead of cigarettes in France — other than they are considered criminals — seems to be the government would prefer it if you smoked,' he said. 'It is a huge, backwards step.' The hardline law — which now makes France the strictest country in Europe for pouch control — arrives just days before the UK bans disposable vapes on June 1, a move expected to push more Brits toward pouches as a smoke-free alternative. Already, around 530,000 Brits use nicotine pouches — double the number in 2020 — and many could now be unknowingly breaking the law in France, the second most popular holiday spot after Spain. The harshest penalties in France previously applied to possession of drugs like heroin and cocaine, which carry a maximum one-year jail term and £3,200 fine — a fraction of the punishment now facing pouch users. Disposable vapes will be banned across UK by next summer to stop Britain's kids from getting hooked The new ban is also likely to cause a stir in the sports world, where pouch use is widespread among elite athletes. A Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) study found one in five male pros use nicotine pouches to boost focus and performance. Premier League players travelling to France for Champions League fixtures will now be breaking the law if they pack pouches — along with rugby stars, runners and cyclists competing in French events like the Tour de France and the French Open, which began Sunday. Critics say the ban will also fuel a black market, penalise harm reduction, and catch tourists out. Crosby added: 'The ban would turn ordinary Brits into lawbreakers… and leave French police with an impossible task of enforcement due to the high number of British tourists using pouches.' Despite the backlash, French officials moved ahead after notifying the European Commission in February. As no objections were raised within three months, the policies kicked in on May 26. The ban prohibits the production, possession, import, export, sale and use of oral nicotine products — which the French Public Health Code now categorises as 'venomous substances'. The French government justified the law by citing the 'attractiveness, harmfulness, dependence and method of use' of pouches and insisted the blanket ban was 'justified in order to achieve the objective of preserving public health'. But the French Council of State itself branded the legislation 'disproportionate'. 4 4 Other EU countries like Germany, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg have imposed restrictions on pouches — but none have criminalised personal use with such severe penalties. Back in the UK, pouches will soon be restricted to over-18s under the upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill, now moving through the House of Lords. Small businesses have warned parts of the bill — especially advertising bans on nicotine replacement products — could backfire, harming sales and potentially increasing smoking rates and illicit trade. While nicotine pouches remain controversial, evidence suggests they are among the safest nicotine products available. The 2022 Murkett scale gave cigarettes a maximum health risk score of 100, cigars 40.4 and vapes 2.7 — but rated pouches just 0.1, nearly negligible. Sweden has already achieved 'smoke-free' status by embracing alternatives like pouches, which harm reduction advocates say should be part of the solution — not banned outright. Recent UK research found one million smokers a year try quitting using ineffective methods like willpower and patches — while vaping and pouches offer more success. Yet under France's new rules, carrying a pouch is now legally more dangerous than carrying heroin. Smoking vs. vaping VAPING has been touted as an effective tool to help people quit smoking. Though vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking, the habit isn't completely harmless and comes with its own set of risks. The NHS only recommends it for adult smokers, to support quitting smoking. GP and author Dr Philippa Kaye explained to The Sun that the differences between vaping and smoking - and whether one is better than the other - is "complicated". "In a nutshell, vaping is better than smoking, but breathing air is better than vaping at all." Vaping exposes users to far fewer toxins - and at lower levels - than smoking cigarettes. Switching to vaping significantly reduces your exposure to toxins that can cause cancer, lung disease, and diseases of the heart and circulation like heart attack and stroke. These diseases are not caused by nicotine, which is relatively harmless to health. But research has still linked vaping to a higher risk of failure and lung disease. Health risks of cigarettes Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer Smokers are at greater risk for diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels Smoking can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and the small air sacs Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body It affects overall health too, such as your mouth, eyes, immune system and fertility Health risks of vaping They can cause side effects such as throat and mouth irritation, headache, cough and feeling sick They could lead to tooth decay They could damage heart health They could cause lung disease They could slow brain development Read more on how vaping can affect your health here. Sources: NHS, CDC
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Nicotine pouches helped me quit vaping – but now I'm addicted
Johnpaul began using nicotine pouches to help him get off vapes – but says it just led to another one stage he was using 15 pouches a day, although the 16-year-old has now cut back to experts say the pouches – small sachets that fit between the top lip and the gum, nicknamed "snus" by some teenagers - are addictive and may have other harmful side are largely unregulated in the UK and there is currently no law to stop children buying campaigners fear that the ban on disposable vapes which comes into effect on 1 June could see more young people turning to the stronger nicotine pouches. Johnpaul started using the pouches as a coping mechanism, and to help him get off vapes."It just led to another addiction," he said. "It's just an instant hit. It makes me forget my surroundings."I'm not going to say I don't enjoy that, I do, but there are still a lot more negatives to it than there are positives."Johnpaul is working with other young people to raise awareness about nicotine pouches as part of a project with the charity Fast Forward and the Skills Training Programme at West Lothian packs contain age restriction warnings, Johnpaul says he has no problem buying them."At the moment, I really don't want to stop, but I definitely want to cut down and cut down the amount of milligrams I'm taking."Just keep it as low as I can, so it'll be a lot easier to quit when I feel that I'm ready to." Lee, 16, says he and most of his friends use nicotine pouches – although he wishes he had never started."Most times people wouldn't know because it's tucked away in your gum and sometimes you can push it up so people really can't see it," he said."I've tried to stop before, but it's something you can get highly addicted to, which is quite a bad thing."If I could go back and not start, I would."Aleksandra, 16, has tried nicotine pouches, but says they're not for her."It was fine for the first five minutes and after you swallow your spit it doesn't taste good."It burns and it makes you feel sick. It wasn't great."She says the products are marketed towards young people on social media and given away at railway stations, where they can easily be given to teenagers who look older. Leigh Ronald from Fast Forward, which offers health and wellbeing support, says young people are increasingly talking about pouches and looking to find out more says it is likely that they will look for alternatives, like nicotine pouches, when the ban on disposable vapes comes into effect across the UK on 1 pouches contain six to 20 milligrams (mg) of nicotine, while some contain 50mg - about five times stronger than an average pouches are often referred to as snus, although that is a different product which contains tobacco and has been banned in the UK and EU since general use of nicotine pouches remains low in Great suggests that about 5% of adults and 3% of under-18s have tried them – but use appears to be increasing and is higher in some groups, particularly young men. One popular brand reported a 121% increase in sales in approached by BBC Scotland said they did not sell nicotine pouches to McLevy is head of manufacturing at VPZ, which sells vapes, pouches and other nicotine says his firm operates a Challenge 25 policy and that its aim is to help people quit said: "If you've not smoked before, if you've not vaped before, there's absolutely no need to buy a pouch. None whatsoever."It's a harm reduction technique and it's for current smokers to find a way to stop using combustible cigarettes." Dr Richard Holliday, senior lecturer at the School of Dental Sciences at Newcastle University, says nicotine pouches are less harmful than cigarettes - but not risk team recently published an article on nicotine pouches in the British Dental Journal that was downloaded more than 250,000 says more research is needed and that there may be an impact on oral health – such as gum recession."The paper has obviously touched a nerve. I think a lot of people are looking for information on this topic," he Zoe Coyle, a lecturer at the Dental Institute in Edinburgh, also warned that repeated use of nicotine pouches can lead to gum recession and other issues with teeth and lips."I would be concerned particularly about young people using nicotine pouches," she says. Sheila Duffy, chief executive of anti-smoking charity Ash Scotland, says teachers have raised concerns about the pouches, which retail at "pocket money prices"."It's very fast absorbed, it can easily be twice the level of nicotine in nicotine replacement therapy. So this is very highly addictive," she said."Addiction to nicotine in any form opens you up to the whole profile of products – industry knows this."So a kid that starts using nicotine pouches, which are easily concealed, which may be highly flavoured and attractive because they've been pushed through social media, that child is much more at risk of ending up as a smoker."UK-wide legislation is being proposed to ban the sale of nicotine products - including pouches - to Tobacco and Vapes Bill would also stop free distribution and give ministers the power to regulate the flavours, packaging and display of all vapes and other nicotine Scotland say it is a step in the right direction, but fears that the introduction of new regulations will take too long.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Turning Point Brands Inc (TPB) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue Growth and ...
Revenue: Increased 28% to $106.4 million for the quarter. Adjusted EBITDA: Increased 12% to $27.7 million, with a 26% margin. Gross Margin: 56%, down 220 basis points year over year. SG&A Expenses: $36.4 million for the quarter, up $1.8 million sequentially. Modern Oral Revenue: $22.3 million for the quarter. Stoker's Revenue: Increased 63% to $59.2 million. Zig-Zag Revenue: Increased 1% to $47.3 million. Cash Position: Ended the quarter with $99.6 million in cash. Free Cash Flow: $12.4 million for the quarter. CapEx: $2.2 million for the quarter. Nicotine Pouch Sales Guidance: Increased to $80 million to $95 million for the full year. Adjusted EBITDA Guidance: Reaffirmed at $108 million to $113 million for 2025. Release Date: May 07, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Positive Points Revenue increased by 28% to $106.4 million, surpassing expectations. Adjusted EBITDA rose by 12% to $27.7 million, reaffirming strong financial performance. Significant growth in the white nicotine pouch segment, with sales increasing nearly tenfold year over year. Increased full-year guidance for nicotine pouch sales to a range of $80 million to $95 million. Stoker's segment revenue increased by 63%, driven by growth in loose leaf and MST sales. Negative Points Gross margin decreased by 220 basis points year over year, indicating potential cost pressures. Reported SG&A expenses increased by $1.8 million sequentially, impacting profitability. Potential headwinds from tariffs, with an anticipated $5 million to $7 million impact on imported products. FX headwinds in the Zig-Zag segment due to a stronger Euro, affecting financial performance. Challenges in the Zig-Zag segment with only a 1% sales increase, impacted by the unwind of the Clipper relationship. Q & A Highlights Q: Can you comment on the distribution gains in modern oral in the quarter and expectations for rolling out ALP to brick-and-mortar stores? A: Summer Frein, Chief Revenue Officer: We are making great traction with retailers, including high-profile ones like 7-Eleven, and are in active conversations with other top chains. We have rollouts planned for later this year. Graham Purdy, CEO: The ALP plan is different from the free plan, focusing initially on online direct-to-consumer sales, but we anticipate seeing some brick-and-mortar presence by the end of the year. Q: What is your capacity to produce nicotine pouches at your current domestic MST production facility, and are there plans for onshoring production? A: Andrew Flynn, CFO: Our current supply is adequate, and we are exploring onshoring options to enhance production capabilities.
