The New Nicotine Pouch Category: a Tobacco harm Reduction Tool?

Introduction:
This text is a commentary on the new nicotine pouch category and its potential as a tobacco harm reduction tool. The authors have identified research gaps and regulatory science approaches to inform policies that can maximize the category's public health potential while minimizing unintended consequences.

Key Points:

* Nicotine pouches are a new category of products that are being rapidly developed and marketed as consumer goods with little research or regulatory oversight.
* There are limited studies on the pharmacokinetics, safety, and abuse liability of nicotine pouches.
* The authors suggest a regulatory science agenda for nicotine pouches, which includes product chemistry, pharmacokinetics, safety, acceptable maximum nicotine level, communication, intended consumers, likelihood of unintended use, transition time, effect on intentions to quit, and product abuse liability.
* The authors emphasize the importance of addressing research gaps, informing regulatory policy, and ensuring that nicotine pouches are marketed solely to adult current users of more harmful tobacco products.
* The authors also highlight concerns regarding marketing practices and targeting of non-users and vulnerable young populations.

Main Message:
The main message of this text is that nicotine pouches have the potential to be an effective tool for smokers and other tobacco users to reduce and stop tobacco use. however, a comprehensive regulatory science agenda is necessary to maximize the category's public health potential and minimize unintended consequences. The authors emphasize the importance of addressing research gaps, informing regulatory policy, and ensuring that nicotine pouches are marketed responsibly. It is crucial to prioritize the regulatory science agenda to ensure that adult users have access to affordable, evidence-based cessation tools while minimizing the risk of unintended consequences such as marketing to non-users and vulnerable young populations.

Patwardhan, S., & Fagerström, K. (2022). The New Nicotine Pouch Category: a Tobacco harm Reduction Tool? Nicotine & Tobacco Research: Official Journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, 24(4), 623–625. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntab198