Giving them away while they can: free nicotine pouches in Scotland

Free product samples are a powerful marketing strategy. They allow people to try new products without immediate financial outlay, help build brand awareness and may foster customer loyalty.1 Free sampling functions as a form of experiential marketing, which can lead to more positive product-related attitudes and beliefs.2 3 It can encourage engagement with a product category, increase the likelihood of making a purchase4 and ultimately improve sales.1 It is a longstanding promotional strategy of tobacco companies5 and one that can have an impact, given that research has found that receiving free tobacco or e-cigarette samples is associated with higher susceptibility,6 ever use, past 30-day use and new product use among adolescents.7

In Scotland, we identified, in June 2026, several nicotine pouch brands (Nordic Spirit, Übbs, Velo, XQS, Zyn and 4NX) offering a free sample to…

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