In a letter sent to Matt Hancock at the Department of Health and Social Care, the NNA says: “The New Nicotine Alliance is a not for profit charity which works to promote harm reduction policies to do with nicotine delivery. We aim to reduce the purported 78,000 deaths a year from smoking in the UK and the cost which is met by your Department.”
“We have worked extensively as a stakeholder with PHE and the European Parliament to try and provide a consumer perspective of safe nicotine delivery. We have noted and supported the success of vaping devices moving 3.6 million people away from the damage caused by combustible cigarettes.”
“Recently a new product called nicotine pouches has entered the market which can reduce the number of smoking in the UK. This is an oral nicotine product that contains no tobacco but does contain nicotine. Nicotine as you know is not the substance which causes the deaths that we are seeing around the world. We would therefore be interested to know your perspective on this new product and whether you would be willing to commission PHE to conduct a study like the one conducted into vaping to work out its relative level of safety.”
These pouches contain nicotine but no tobacco. They are described as being a tobacco-free version of snus. The pouch is placed between the upper lip and gum and the nicotine and flavour is released.
Current non-tobacco nicotine pouches include:
- British American Tobacco’s Lyft is sold in the UK and Sweden
- British American Tobacco’s Velo (through RJ Reynolds Vapor Company) is sold in the USA
- Swedish Match’s Zyn is sold in Europe and the USA
- Kretek International’s Dryft is sold in the USA
- Japan Tobacco International’s Nordic Spirit is sold in Sweden
The NNA expressed that it is willing to meet with Hancock himself, or officials at the Department of Health and Social Care, to discuss this subject further.
EDIT: As of 26th June 2021 Matt Hancock is no longer Secretary of State for Health. Sajid Javid took over the role following Matt Hancock's resignation.