Social Media Influencers Promoting Controversial Nicotine Pouches in Australia

Recently, Australian social media influencers have been promoting controversial and potentially harmful nicotine pouches in their videos, claiming that they are effective tools for quitting smoking. However, public health experts have warned that this increasingly popular product could become the next public health issue among teenagers.

This tea bag-like pouch is placed between the gums and lips, similar to the popular snus in the Scandinavian Peninsula. However, unlike snus which contains tobacco, nicotine pouches contain nicotine extracted from tobacco or synthetic nicotine, and are marketed as "tobacco-free".

The World Health Organization has warned that nicotine pouches are becoming an increasingly serious "public health issue," with these small pouches being heavily promoted on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. At least one post, posted by an Australian fitness influencer, has garnered over 2 million views.

According to regulations from the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), these products require a prescription in order to be legally supplied in Australia. However, a website that directly ships nicotine pouch products to consumers claims that these products are legal in Australia.

These nicotine pouches are being sold on some websites in Australia, with flavors similar to e-cigarettes, such as "Bubblegum," "Lemon Burst," and "Frozen Blueberry." These products are produced by tobacco companies such as the Zyn brand of Philip Morris International and the Velo brand of British American Tobacco.

Australian Health Minister Mark Butler has promised that the federal government will ban over-the-counter e-cigarettes in order to prevent the tobacco industry from creating a "new generation of nicotine addicts.

Healthier Alternatives?

Several young Australian internet celebrities have been proposing using this type of nicotine as a replacement for smoking e-cigarettes in their videos, which have often garnered tens of thousands of views and hundreds of comments. Many people have been asking where they can buy this product, and some have even asked, "Can these products be taken to school?"

Nineteen-year-old Stefan Kohut is an Australian fitness influencer with 13,700 followers on TikTok. He promotes the Snussaholic platform and includes links to websites selling Zyn, Velo, and other nicotine pouches on his personal page. He has already posted 13 videos promoting products.

In a video released on November 30th with 340,000 views, Kohut explained how to use nicotine pouches.

Kohut said, "This is just my personal opinion, not advice," but he pointed out that nicotine pouches have helped him quit smoking completely. In another video with over 30,900 views posted on January 23, Kohut mentioned how nicotine pouches provide a "healthier alternative" to smoking or vaping. In a video posted on January 8 with over 12,600 views, he also mentioned that Snussaholics offered him a coupon code to give his fans a 15% discount: "For anyone trying to kick the habit, Snussaholic is the place to go." 

These coupons are often personalized to track customer referrals, with influencers potentially earning commission. Kohut warned that these products are not suitable for those under 18, non-smokers, or individuals not looking to quit substance use. 24-year-old Sydney fitness influencer Zahki Kapusta, who has over 15,000 followers on TikTok, has gained over 2 million views on a video posted on December 30 titled "Be your best self, quit smoking in 2024." In the video, Kapusta advocates for nicotine pouches as an effective tool for quitting smoking, citing his own experiences of using them with minimal effort and stress compared to other methods. Since November 21, Kapusta has posted seven videos showcasing the use of nicotine pouches, some suggesting them as a quit-smoking aid alongside hashtags like "#zyn," "quitvaping," and "#nicotine." Recently, he has been promoting a website called "snusitout.com" on TikTok, which aims to provide a healthier alternative for Australian nicotine users, as the trend of nicotine pouches gains recognition in countries like the US and Europe.

Capusta told The Guardian Australia that he has "no relationship with Zyn, Philip Morris, or any other company that produces/sells these products." The purpose of making the video was to share his method of quitting smoking using nicotine supplements, and "not to promote these products.

After an investigation by Australian newspaper "The Guardian," the link to snusitout was removed from Capusta's Linktree page.

Following inquiries from The Guardian Australia, Snusitout's website has been updated to remove the term "nicotine satisfaction" and now states, "We are committed to providing smoking cessation support for Australian smokers.

Nicotine Content Categorized as "Very High"

The World Health Organization has warned that some nicotine pouches contain "extremely high" levels of nicotine, a highly addictive chemical that can affect the nervous and cardiovascular systems, causing increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure. A study in the British Medical Journal found that half of the nicotine pouches tested contained compounds unique to tobacco that can damage DNA and lead to cancer with prolonged use. The organization also stated that the rapid growth in sales of nicotine pouches is a result of the tobacco industry's attempt to expand the use of novel nicotine products.

Professor Emily Banks, a renowned tobacco control expert and epidemiologist at the Australian National University, stated that there are currently registered safe and effective products to help people quit smoking, such as nicotine gum, patches, and inhalers.

"Addiction is itself a health issue," Banks said. "Only when you use this product, do you feel normal."

The Australian Tobacco Control Agency stated that they are aware of the marketing and supply of some nicotine pouches in Australia, and added that they are monitoring the situation and taking enforcement action against violations of the 1989 Therapeutic Goods Act.

The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration stated that nicotine pouches can only be supplied with a prescription or under certain conditions, such as specifically being indicated for smoking cessation and being listed in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.

The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration has not yet approved any nicotine pouches for use in Australia. The quality, safety, and effectiveness of these products as smoking cessation aids are still unknown, and their sale and use in the community pose potential risks.

A spokesperson for British American Tobacco (BAT) in Australia stated that the websites named by the Australian newspaper "The Guardian" have no affiliation with BAT Australia, BAT as a global entity, or any of their trade partners.

The spokesperson also stated that these websites should be immediately shut down by the TGA.

The Snusitout website claims that nicotine pouches are "legal in Australia." However, the website also acknowledges that unless these nicotine pouches are prescribed by a doctor, intended and packaged for smoking tobacco, or "intended for oral" or transdermal administration to "aid in quitting smoking," then the nicotine pouches would meet the poison standard of the Australian Tobacco Authority.

The website of Snussaholic company states that its product is not a smoking cessation tool and advises consumers to "consult a healthcare professional before using nicotine pouches.