India orders crackdown on nicotine pouches, citing health risks, letter shows
The Indian government has ordered a crackdown on the sale of nicotine pouches, citing them as an unregulated public health risk. Officials noted that these products are often smuggled into the country and sold illegally, posing particular dangers to children.
Why it matters
The move highlights the ongoing global regulatory struggle to manage new tobacco alternatives that bypass traditional cigarette bans.
India's government has ordered States to crack down on the sale of nicotine pouches, which it considers a major health risk, saying globally popular brands are being widely sold illegally in the country, a letter from the Health Ministry shows.
Nicotine pouches have emerged as one of Big Tobacco's most important bets on a future beyond cigarettes, offering rapid growth, attractive margins and, for now, lighter regulation than many rival smoking alternatives.
In India, where tobacco kills 1.35 million people a year, the government has banned e-cigarettes but approved certain nicotine replacements like patches and chewing gums.
Nicotine pouches - small packets placed under the lip that contain nicotine but no tobacco - remain illegal and unapproved, with a government source saying they are often smuggled into India for sale online and through local tobacco stores.
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