Transport for London (TfL) gained over £1million in revenue for the advertising of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches in 2025/26, a freedom of information (FOI) request has revealed.
TfL ran the 51 campaigns for nicotine pouches across the London Underground, London Overground, Elizabeth Line, London Trams, DLR, and Victoria Coach station, earning £1,090,600
It comes as The Tobacco and Vapes Act is set to end the advertising and promotion of vaping and nicotine products, herbal smoking products and cigarette papers by 1 June 2027.
Helen Duffy, public affairs lead at ASH, said: “It is clear that the tobacco companies that own nicotine pouch brands are pouring substantial resources into marketing these products before advertising restrictions come into force next June.
“While nicotine pouches are less harmful than smoking, these campaigns are not aimed at helping smokers switch.
“Bright colours, playful branding and lifestyle marketing are designed to attract attention and have clear appeal to young people.”
The ban includes online advertising, such as paid adverts on websites, as well as advertisements and sponsored posts on social media platforms.
A spokesperson for the TfL FOI case management team said: “As nicotine pouches do not contain tobacco, they are not subject to the statutory restriction on the advertising of tobacco products.
“However, because nicotine is an addictive substance, the ASA advises nicotine pouches should be advertised in a responsible manner.
“We request our media partners share advertisements for nicotine pouches with us for consideration.”
UNDERGROUND OR OVERGROUND: Commuters in London report seeing an increase in nicotine pouch advertising across the London underground.
A WHO report on the advertising of nicotine pouches found that the product was being promoted through social media influencers, lifestyle branding, sports sponsorship and youth-oriented flavours.
In May, London festivals Field Day and Cross the Tracks saw ZYN UK collaborate with ‘Bossman’ Asim Chaudry to host a corner shop-style pop-up shop at the London festival.
Festival-goer Hamish said: “I was so surprised that the branding was so prominent around the festival as you would never really see that with other nicotine products.
“It just made the product seem much much more trendy and cool – rather than a way to quit smoking.”
The company – owned by British American Tobacco (BAT) – use their UK Instagram page to promote competitions for festivals and sporting events to market the nicotine pouches to their 20,000 followers.
While every post on VELO’s UK Instagram page includes the statement ‘only for adult nicotine users’, their online content has also been criticised for positioning the pouches as a ‘trendy lifestyle product’ rather than as a smoking alternative.
VELO UK were reached out to for comment.
Featured image credit: Carmel Hobbs
