BAT $BATS (-0.24%) France confirms that nicotine pouches can help reduce smoking in France

The aim of public health authorities should be to reduce the incidence of smoking and not to create barriers for smokers seeking an effective alternative to tobacco.

Despite criticism from certain health groups and the alarmist tone of some recent news reports, BAT France confirms that these tobacco-free nicotine products can offer French smokers an effective alternative to tobacco products.

In addition to the preventive measures already in place to limit access by young people, BAT France is in favor of stricter regulations prohibiting the sale of these products to minors and regulating the authorized points of sale as well as the maximum nicotine concentration in the pouches and their labeling. One of the aims of these measures is to prevent these products from becoming attractive to minors.

BAT's marketing guidelines require that all advertising material is aimed at adults. In addition, all persons depicted in the communication are adults. The company has also gone beyond the current legal requirements for these products by requiring retailers to verify the age of purchasers at the point of sale.

"We share the government's goal of achieving "the first smoke-free generation by 2032". However, to achieve this goal, it is essential to refocus current strategies to deliver tangible results. The figures are clear: the current method is not working, with the smoking rate stagnating at over 31% in France, health associations and industry need to work together in a meaningful way to find solutions. As far as nicotine pouches are concerned, the solution is not to ban them, but to regulate them by implementing a key measure of the National Tobacco Control Program: "Develop a coherent roadmap for the regulations applicable to all nicotine products such as nicotine pouches".