Velo, its campaign and Nicotine.

“Nicotine patches can help you quit smoking”, says Velo; but what will help you quit Nicotine addiction afterwards?

Velo, a Nicotine producing company which has introduced Nicotine pouches and is selling them around the world have now set its foot inside Pakistan. These Nicotine pouches are considered to be a substitute or a mean of quitting smoking for good, but what the main question that rises here is that “what will happen after getting addicted to Nicotine?”

Due to the ban on advertising such things over the Tele Vision or Radio, Velo has targeted the social media for their campaign and have gained more than enough success. They have created a whole Velo world of their own over the internet that consists of a Website of their own, two channels on YouTube, two pages on Instagram and two pages on Facebook.

Their initial campaign started from YouTube where they started posting videos about their products and glamorizing the use of Nicotine patches. But due to the lack of response from the people they gave their idea a second thought. They launched their campaign again the second time and with more strength and ability to cover all the social media platforms. Facebook was their first target and then after succeeding in gaining followers they moved onto instagram and once again paved their way to a successful YouTube channel where they used celebrities in their videos and paid huge amounts of money to stars for the promotion of their product over the internet.

The use of celebrities and glamour in their videos was the stunt pulled to attract young customers towards their product and that’s when they made this business dirty. After gaining thousands of subscribers on their first page they took further steps to strengthen their campaign and attract more youth and people to their product. They introduced the “VELO Sound Station” a Pakistani television program and music show which features live studio-recorded music performances by veteran and emerging artists. This was their way into Television and spreading roots more and more.

If we observe the following of Velo on social media in Pakistan the numbers are such:

VELO Sound Station Page on Facebook: 98K.

VELOpk on Facebook: 125K.

VELO Sound Station on Instagram: 28K.

VELO.Pakistan on Instagram: 26.6K.

VELO Sound Station on YouTube: 275K subscribers.

The number make it pretty clear that how much this product or brand is being followed and this has all happened due to the next generation advertisement strategies and also by facing no obstacle from any law enforcing authority. A normal human mind cannot accept the reality that a Nicotine product is being sold in your country let aside sold being advertised on the internet and nobody have actually stepped in and taken an action against this heinous act.

Their way of advertising has broken more than enough Laws and Codes of Conduct for social media drafted by the Government of Pakistan that VELO can be easily sued for their actions. But as many other issues a blind eye is being turned towards this issue as well.

The problem here is not the advertising the problem here is that pushing it forward as a mean of quitting smoking and a portraying it as a very cool and stylish product that can turn your life around and adding so much of glamour and sensitivity in the advertisement of this very product. What could be dangerous is that with such rapid speed we might be facing a new pandemic of Nicotine usage, where not only the young but people of every age would be addicted to Nicotine and that would be the point of no return.

If we go through the whole campaign of VELO there are a lot of problems in it. But those are usual problems but what a major observation or a point to be duly noted is that the celebrities (not naming any specifically) that are involved in the advertisements are using this product themselves and is being shown in the ad. The portrayal of this very scene where a superstar is using the product itself impacts on a large scale and that is when people actually go to the market, purchase the product and try it and hence the addiction begins. They keep going for more and the company keeps providing them more, with new flavors, new tastes, more amounts of Nicotine and simply making them an addict. Secondly, there is another major issue that needs to be highlighted as well. Well known You Tubers or stars are uploading unboxing videos of the product and making them look very good and fancy and they show each and every thing about the product and shows the gift given to them by the company but they do not cover the negative aspect of the product or do not warn about its addiction or side effects.

Social media platforms have millions of teenager users and they go through these ads and posts on daily basis and just because they are really attractive even for a mature person they fall for it. As a teen, their brain is still developing making them more vulnerable to nicotine addiction. And this addiction is so strong that even if one watches a family member die of this addiction they are not ready give up on it.

Like every other addictive drug or like smoking using Nicotine patches also have severe side effects. The most common side effects of this product are constipation, dry mouth, nervousness, headache, indigestion and sleep disturbance. But there might be some other serious consequences then these that may be acidic or sour stomach, belching, heartburn, mouth, tooth, jaw or neck pain (which might get severe with time) and also this might cause problems with the teeth. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also agrees nicotine can lead to hypertension, diabetes (keeping in mind VELO contains sugar also), obesity, neurobehavioral defects and infertility.

With such dangerous side effects there is another thing due to which these Nicotine pouches are harmful i.e. nicotine can kill brain cells and stop new ones forming in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory , says a French team.

Now something as dangerous as this with such side effects and a huge addiction rate is being advertised and there is no action to taken against it or we can say that nobody from the related authorities have bothered to make an attempt of taking a serious action against this campaign.

Interviewing some experts and media personals we got to know that VELO has been very active in trying to get into the mainstream media through backdoor channels. Aside the fact that this is a harmful and very addictive product people are using and buying it on daily basis just because of the strength of attraction added to it via advertisement. Some social activists even claimed that VELO salespersons are selling this product at every Pan Shop, grocery stores and general stores in every city. Social media activists shared their views with us and demanded that doctors should be brought into use to tackle their social media marketing and they should spread awareness among general public about the abuse and addiction of these pouches.

VELO makes a claim that it a substitute for smoking or their product is less harmful then smoking or that if you use their Nicotine pouch you will not feel the need of smoking. It is not because VELO is a good and healthy product but just because the amount of Nicotine in both the things is almost the same where the difference occurs is the way of use. Cigarette is being smoked which effects the lungs directly whereas a nicotine pouch is being kept under the lip. But it does not mean that in any way these pouches should be considered a mean of quitting smoking or being used just because it’s less dangerous, it’s not.

If we observe the amount of Nicotine in both the items we will definitely know the facts and able to know that both are as harmful. The amount of Nicotine in each cigarette is from 6.17mg to 12.65mg whereas the amount of nicotine in the Velo nicotine pouches is 4 to 10mg, a difference of 2.65mg only. This makes it quite clear and obvious that none of the two products is worth using and both are to be avoided.

While searching for such people who have left smoking for good just by using VELO, firstly there were very few like, like finding a needle in a hay stack and after we did their remarks were not that encouraging. Only one out of 13 people said that VELO has been the best experience for him so far. The others had their issues. These issues included, the need of smoking after consuming a pouch, if they quit smoking and were on VELO they consumed a lot of VELO like a box per day that also makes the equal amount of a pack of cigarettes. So the question here is what’s the point of such a product if there is no change in the result?

Just like cigarette, alcohol and other drugs advertisements are being banned, the VELO campaign should also be banned by the government. One can clearly observe that just to earn loads of money and have a successful business thousands and millions of lives are being put at stake. We are pushing a drug knowingly and endangering are youth with a new addiction. Even those celebrities or stars that are taking part in their campaign or their brand ambassadors all are to be equally blamed for pushing forward a drug just for the sake of earning money. By no means morally or legally can this campaign be justified if a legal action is being taken against it.

Talking about legal action, this campaign has violated several rules and laws drafted by the Government of Pakistan and that are present in letter and spirit. According to the constitution of Pakistan and the charter of rules of PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulation Authority) no such advertisement is allowed to be aired on the social media or Tele Vision that contains content based on smoking, alcohol consumption, gambling or other drug abuse. So this is the very first and very basic rule that they broke and are breaking till date.

A social media company is required to “take due cognizance of the religious, cultural, ethnic and national security sensitivities of Pakistan.” Rule 4(3). The VELO campaign is totally in violation of this rule of PTA (Pakistan Telecommunication Authority). If we look at the content produced by them it against our religious, cultural and ethnic values. We can observe scenes of male nudity, westernized and modernized culture and also the use of a narcotic i.e. the nicotine patch. So there are several violations all in one place. They show the scenes of a night club or a rave party we can call it where the celebrity enters and uses the patch so that is also against our religious and cultural values. All these advertisements are creating a bad impact on the viewers and a very lethal message in very few seconds or minutes is being conveyed. And so there is a list of many other sections of the constitution that are being violated openly and due action is required.

Coming to the slogan of the whole campaign that is “A Tobacco Free Pakistan” no doubt we all need a smoking free region for ourselves and our children but we do not need that at the cost of getting addicted to a similar drug on a wider scale. There will be no meaning of a tobacco free Pakistan if the country is under the influence of Nicotine. Our children stressed, depressed and falling ill just because of using something that seems very stylish, glamorous or relaxing. Not only this but also the use of Nicotine and its addiction would lead to putting hands on to other dangerous drugs which we cannot afford. Our schools, colleges and universities are already stocked with drugs of several lethal kinds and our youth is under their influence, if we introduce another such thing in the market and expect a clean Pakistan or tobacco free Pakistan our concept or idea needs to be reconsidered.

In simple words Velo is not a step forward to help the smokers or get rid of the Tobacco but is a monopoly of an International brand who wants to spread their business everywhere and take this curse of Nicotine along with them. If they actually wanted to help the smokers or eradicate smoking they would have probably searched for some other way not indulging people in a new drug.

The situation will keep getting out of hands day by day if the authorities do not decide to wake up and take a firm stand against such companies and campaigns. Today, its VELO tomorrow it will be something else and might be peddling some other kind of drug in some other glamorous or very decent manner. Or we might end up seeing alcohol advertisements all over social media. Experts are of the view that such marketing stunts are not only creating a cultural and religious disharmony in the society but also playing with the minds of the young ones and attracting them towards the western school of thought. Some even are labeling VELO as a foreign propaganda to create an imbalance in our society and separate the liberals, the religious ones and the ones in between them both. Many also suspect that this is a Jewish strategy to spoil the minds of our youth and make them fall for Nicotine addiction.

With such serious suspicions and accusations on a brand the Government or the related authorities are silent. Even the Supreme Court of Pakistan has taken no notice regarding this issue. But some kind of action or notification is necessary to ease up the tension building regarding this company. And if the allegations and suspicions on VELO are correct and also they are found guilty of breaking the Code of Conduct and the Constitution of Pakistan then they should be punished accordingly. An example shall be set for future that nobody, who so ever it may be makes an attempt to do something of the sort. And if no action is taken regarding this issue then according to the public perception the rules of PTA and PEMRA shall be revised and all such activities on media shall be allowed so that every kind of business can be conducted on Media grounds legally.

The future of VELO is yet to be decided or this can be put in this way also that if this issue is not taken seriously companies of this kind will decide the fate of Pakistan and its people.