A few days before tobacco free day, which will take place on May 31, the National Committee against Smoking (CNCT) alerts the use of Metatine in electronic cigarettes. Praise as nicotine without nicotine and, above all, “healthier” for VAPERS, this molecule floods social networks and already has the success of certain brands, as a King aroma.
Before “the appearance and worrying promotion,” the CNCT announced Monday filed a complaint against the manufacturer for illicit advertising and demands the harvest of regulations on this type of product that is probably “deceiving consumers.” But then what is Metatine?
Three times more addictive than nicotine
The 6-methyl-nicotine, or “metatin”, is a synthetic molecule, analogous to nicotine, recently used in vapeo products and oral bags. Created from a chemical modification of nicotine, its structure is different enough to not strictly classify as nicotine.
If an electronic metatine cigarette does not actually contain nicotine, it does not represent a healthier alternative, so far a medical verification has been performed.
“He (the product, editor’s note) acts in the same way as nicotine in brain dopamine receptors, both stimulation and dependence,” explains Amélie Eschenbrenner, spokesman for the CNCT, in BFMTV.
The addictive potential of metatin would even be up to three times that that of nicotine, according to preclinical studies, reports the association against smoking.
A molecule, little known
Metatin is identified in certain vapeo products sold in France and in other parts of Europe since 2024. Unlike tobacco and nicotine, there are currently few studies on the effects of this new substance given its recent appearance.
“There is a risk of dependence that will come more easily, but there is no certainty, there are studies to do, knowing that nicotine is already one of the most addicted substances that we know: it is more than heroin,” exhibits Anne Batisse, head of the Paris Addiction Center.
“The problem of these new synthetic products is that they have never been studied, or very little, in animals, so basically, guinea pig, is man,” he adds.
If electronic cigarette can be considered as a help to quit smoking, nicotine remains “the solution to get rid of tobacco,” Dr. Marion Adler develops, a tabacologist in the BFMTV set. Although the nicotine is addictive, it is not toxic, unlike tobacco, whose smoke contains 4,000 toxic substances, “says Marion Adler. Among them, we find carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide or tar.
Convincing marketing arguments
For the CNCT, the choice of methanin in electronic cigarettes is not trivial either. It allows manufacturers to escape certain regulations that are already in force in conventional nicotine products.
Green apple aroma, blueberry ice cream, fishing tea or even gum … The marketing strategy of metatin products is particularly addressed to young consumers.
Some sites that sell Aroma King products highlight, for example, the “pleasant taste” of their puffs (disposable electronic cigarettes) that provide “an intense taste experience.” They are also presented as a device for Vapers that wish to stop the nicotine, “substance that depends”.
“The commercialization of these products is really intended for young people, for aromas, for the use of influential people. There is a risk of dependence that is even more important among young people,” Anélie Eschenbrenner analyzes, of the CNCT, in BFMTV.
In France, article L3513-4 prohibits any announcement that encourages the consumption of electronic cigarettes that give an erroneous impression on their “health effects” or that “suggest that the product is less harmful than others.” The law also prohibits manufacturers to use ads that arouse children’s curiosity. Finally, since February 26, 2025, it is forbidden to sell or offer free disposable electronic cigarettes, commonly known as “puffs.”
Source: BFM TV
