According to The National on February 21, Velo, a brand of nicotine bags owned by British American Tobacco, set up a stall at Glasgow Central Railway Station in Scotland to hand out products for free to staff at The National, even when they were told not to use nicotine products, it was easy to get samples. The move has sparked concern from a charity chief.
A staff member at The National found that a free sample of 6 milligrams of nicotine per bag could be obtained simply by providing a name, email, and date of birth.
The stall staff did not give any warnings about the health risks of the products, nor did they ask the users if they had health conditions that could aggravate the risks. The UK’s laws on nicotine packs are relatively relaxed, so the product can technically be sold legally to under-18s.
Sheila Duffy, chief executive of Ash Scotland, a Scottish health charity, said: “It is shocking to see this recreational nicotine product being promoted in a place where children and young people can easily see it, given the increasing trend of nicotine addiction among young people, it is vital to reduce the exposure and availability of nicotine products.
Ash Scotland welcomes the UK government’s proposed restrictions on the advertising and promotion of nicotine packs and vapes in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, stressing that the bill will protect the health of current and future generations of children.
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said the UK-wide Tobacco and vape Bill, if passed, would restrict the free distribution and advertising of these products.
British American Tobacco (BAT) said
- “We make it clear that tobacco and nicotine products are for adults only and should not be used by minors. We adopt Responsible Marketing Principles and Codes, and Velo’s marketing activities comply with all applicable laws. Our guidelines also make it clear that products are only available to adult consumers, so no free samples are provided if the public is not currently using any nicotine products, and we have also been actively calling for regulations that include a minimum age of sale. Since launching Velo in 2019, we have advocated for an industry code of conduct, including restrictions on nicotine bag packaging design and communications.”
A spokesman for Network Rail, which operates Glasgow Central station, said
- “We understand Ash Scotland’s concerns about properly promoting the product and we have instructed staff at the stall not to come into contact with anyone under the age of 25 while working at the station.”
Nicotine bags are not covered by the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR) but by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR). This means that nicotine bags have less stringent regulatory requirements in terms of strength and packaging.
