White nicotine pouches that taste like strawberries, are good for your health and evoke a sense of freedom - are as free as only Swedes can be. Lauren O'Hagan, a researcher at örebro University and Open University, shows in a study how a Japanese-owned tobacco company is marketing white pouches of tobacco-free nicotine in the UK as Nordic Spirit. Marketing campaigns on Instagram are primarily aimed at young women and non-smokers and serve as a pathway to becoming addicted to nicotine.
" Lauren O'Hagan, researcher at örebro University In the UK, the sale and marketing of tobacco-free nicotine pouches is unregulated. These white mini pouches of nicotine taste like candy and occupy a no man's land between tobacco products and foodstuffs regulations - leaving the field open for tobacco companies to operate freely. In June 2019, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) began selling tobacco-free nicotine in the UK.
"Nordic Spirit's marketing was extensive, in social media and via free samples. The company has cooperated with major music festivals, many of which have an audience under 18," says Lauren O'Hagan, a visiting postdoctoral researcher at örebro University in Sweden and research associate at Open University in England. She reviewed nearly 500 Instagram posts by JTI from 2019 to 2023, marketing white nicotine pouches.
These posts typically displayed images of strawberries and apples springing from a can when the lid opens. "Since the company cannot explicitly claim that their.