Tobacco industry pays billions of Youtube ‘influencers’ to sell nicotine products

As she smiles coldly at her 50,000 followers on the TikTok network, a young girl with a fresh face from Pakistan puts her nicotine tablet in her mouth as the most favorite songs of the moment are heard in the background.

But even 3,000 miles away in Sweden, another “new star” of social media poses for the cameras and does the same, taking the product produced by the same company “British American Tobacco”.

Critics say such videos that become ‘viral’ or otherwise highly viewed on the network, are a consequence of the global push against smoking, and as a result of the ‘recruitment’ of new nicotine users for the future.

The British American Tobacco giant’s aggressive publicity campaign is reportedly spending more than $ 1 billion to exploit the likes and popularity of social media models, music stars or sporting events.

According to a report by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the phenomenon is attracting non-smoking youth, even minors.

Recent reports say that employees of this public relations company were so disturbed by the report on their marketing practices that they offered bribes for inside information.

The tobacco company says it is already creating products that help young smokers switch to less harmful alternatives. But she says by 2023, she wants to have 500 million nicotine consumers worldwide, who will spend $ 150 million each year on her products.

Some figures released last week showed that British American Tobacco had an annual tax profit of about $ 10 billion from non-combustible products. Even during the pandemic the number of its customers had increased from 3 million to 13.5 million, from nicotine products.

In the US and Europe the company tells regulators that it helps smokers replace cigarettes with alternatives, but it clearly seems to be looking only to increase the number of nicotine consumers and not help people quit smoking.

Swedish minor influencer advertising nicotine pills