Islamabad (TDV) The Coalition for Tobacco Control Pakistan (CTC-Pak), a coalition of like-minded civil society organisations working to promote tobacco control and protect public health, has expressed serious concerns over a recently launched promotional campaign for nicotine pouches marketed under well-known brands. The coalition warns that such advertising risks encouraging nicotine addiction among young people in Pakistan.
The campaign, widely circulated on social media, features prominent Pakistani celebrities and portrays nicotine pouches as a fashionable, modern lifestyle choice. Produced by a global advertising agency, the campaign has gained significant traction across digital platforms.
Public health advocates caution that the messaging used in the campaign may create a misleading impression that nicotine products are harmless alternatives, despite the well-documented addictive nature of nicotine. According to CTC-Pak members, glamorising nicotine consumption through celebrity endorsements and entertainment-style advertising risks normalising nicotine use among young audiences.
“Using celebrities to promote nicotine products sends a powerful signal to youth that these products are fashionable and socially acceptable. This is extremely alarming from a public health perspective,” a representative of CTC-Pak said.
Nicotine pouches such as VELO and Zyn are marketed as smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes. However, health experts emphasise that these products still deliver nicotine—a highly addictive chemical linked to dependence, cardiovascular risks, and potential impacts on brain development among adolescents.
These products are manufactured by British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International, two of the world’s largest tobacco companies, which promote nicotine products globally as part of their so-called Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) and “smoke-free” portfolios.
CTC-Pak has urged federal and provincial governments, along with relevant regulatory authorities, to review whether such promotional campaigns comply with Pakistan’s tobacco control laws. The coalition also called for a complete ban on the marketing and promotion of nicotine products, particularly on social media platforms where such content can easily reach young audiences.
