Cross-promotion of nicotine pouches by leading cigarette brands.

Tobacco-free nicotine pouches are a new class of smokeless tobacco products that experienced precipitous sales1 increases since their national US market entry in 2016.2 Between 2016 and 2019, annual unit sales of nicotine pouches increased from approximately 100 000 to over 46 million. The pouches contain a powdered mix of nicotine, flavouring, sweeteners and binders; are used in a manner similar to snus (ie, placed between the lip and gum) and are sold in a variety of nicotine strengths and flavours. These products are marketed as containing ‘tobacco-derived’ or ‘tobacco-free’ nicotine and nicotine salts and are described in product marketing as ‘spitless’, ‘smokeless’ and ‘tobacco leaf free’.3 The most prominent brands in today’s marketplace are owned by leading tobacco companies:4 Swedish Match owns Zyn, British American Tobacco sells Lyft and VELO5 (soon to be consolidated under the single branding VELO) and Rogue is owned by Swisher International. In 2019, Altria acquired and began international marketing of the brand on!6 Recently, crossover advertising of nicotine pouch products was observed among leading brands of combustible cigarettes. For example, on 4 November 2020, routine …