Nicotine patches: is the post-cigarette era here?

The British government has said that nicotine pouches are a suitable alternative for smokers, as they are smokeless and do not produce harmful emissions during combustion, Talking Retail reported. The islanders aim to achieve a smoke-free generation by 2030 by gradually phasing out traditional cigarettes and recognizing the use of nicotine pads as a less harmful alternative.

Strict Hungarian regulations

At the same time, the paper also drew attention to the fact that it is worth considering lowering the upper limit of nicotine content, as higher doses and rapid nicotine absorption could potentially increase the development of addiction. The limit in England is currently 20 mg/sachet, while in Hungary the maximum is 17 mg, and a box can contain a maximum of 20 pads.

In Hungary, the composition and distribution of nicotine pads are already strictly regulated in order to enforce public health goals, and the product packaging is child-resistant, thus reducing the risk of accidental access by children. In contrast, under current regulations, Britons can even buy these products in grocery stores.

It can be stated that the domestic framework is stricter than the regulations currently planned or applied in many other European countries, and is aimed at minimizing the risks of nicotine addiction, while providing smokers with the opportunity to use smoke-free alternatives.

Nicotine patch – and what’s behind it

A nicotine patch is a smokeless, tobacco-free nicotine-containing product that the user places between the upper lip and gum. Thus, nicotine is absorbed into the bloodstream through the mucous membrane of the mouth, without the harmful combustion products typical of traditional cigarettes, such as tar or carbon monoxide, being produced.

According to the common position of the literature and the international health dialogue, the most important feature of nicotine pads is that they are smokeless, so that the combustion products – including numerous carcinogenic and toxic substances – that pose the greatest health risks of cigarette smoking are not produced. This difference sharply separates nicotine pads from traditional tobacco products from a health perspective.

That is why in some countries – within appropriate frameworks – they are seen as a possible means of reducing cigarette smoking, especially among adult smokers. However, nicotine itself is an addictive substance, so experts say strict regulation and protection of young people are essential to ensure that alternative products do not become a new entry point into nicotine use.