Nicotine, the Heart, and Why Risk Differentiation Still Matters

Recent media coverage of a report examining nicotine’s effects on the heart and blood vessels has renewed debate about cardiovascular risk and nicotine regulation. In response, experts contributing to the UK Science Media Centre (SMC) have provided important clarification that adds nuance often missing from public discussion. Their commentary reinforces a central principle in tobacco…

New Evidence Reinforces the Need for Risk-Proportionate Nicotine Regulation

As nicotine markets continue to evolve, regulators are increasingly challenged to design policies that protect young people while also reflecting the growing body of evidence on relative risk among nicotine products. A new peer-reviewed study published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research adds important insight into how non-combustible nicotine products are used and perceived, and what…

Fiscal Dependence, Regulatory Friction, and the Challenge of Transitioning Away from Cigarettes

Across many jurisdictions, governments have become structurally dependent on cigarette taxation as a stable source of public revenue. This dependence creates powerful fiscal and political incentives that can slow or complicate the transition away from combustible tobacco, even as public-health strategies increasingly emphasise harm reduction. In this environment, it is not coincidental that the companies…

Nicotine, Cardiovascular Risk, and the Importance of Proportionate Regulation

Nicotine does have measurable effects on the cardiovascular system. That point is not in dispute. However, treating all nicotine products as equally harmful, regardless of whether they are smoked or smoke-free, is not supported by the balance of current evidence and risks undermining smoking cessation and broader public-health objectives. Recent commentary has renewed attention on…

Awareness of Nicotine Pouches Is Rising, but Understanding of Risk Still Lags

Awareness and use of oral nicotine pouches are increasing across multiple countries, according to new peer-reviewed research published in BMJ Public Health. While this growth reflects changing nicotine markets and consumer behaviour, the findings also reveal a persistent challenge: greater awareness has not been matched by clear public understanding of relative health risk. This gap…

Ireland’s Nicotine Pouch Rules and the Challenge of Proportionate Regulation

Ireland’s decision to prohibit the sale of nicotine pouches and other non-tobacco nicotine products to individuals under the age of 18 represents a proportionate and overdue step to protect children. Few would dispute the legitimacy of this measure. Preventing youth access to nicotine products is a core public-health objective and is consistent with both harm-reduction…

Addressing “Big Tobacco Link” Insinuations: The STOP/Contre Feu Narrative and Tobacco Tactics Profile

The STOP/Contre‑Feu narrative and the Tobacco Tactics profile both emphasise that some on the GINN Leadership Team previously worked for or with multinational tobacco companies and then infer a present‑day link or alignment with those firms’ lobbying objectives. That move is a textbook guilt‑by‑association tactic: past disclosed employment or sector experience is presented as sufficient to…

Canada’s Nicotine Pouch Paradox: A Policy That Undermines Harm Reduction

In 2023, Canada approved a tobacco-free oral nicotine pouch, marketed under the name Zonnic, as a nicotine replacement therapy for adult smokers. However, the regulatory framework governing its sale and distribution has created an unexpected contradiction: in some circumstances, it is now more difficult for adult smokers to obtain these potentially lower-risk products than to…

Global Institute For Novel Nicotine Submission Call For Evidence – Tobacco and Vapes Bill November 2025

This submission is provided on behalf of the Global Institute for Novel Nicotine (GINN), which advocates for proportionate, science-based regulation that recognises tobacco harm reduction (THR) as a legitimate public health strategy Our focus is on the necessary regulation of nicotine products, specifically nicotine pouches, which are currently available on the UK market but operate…