PRODUCT
This invention relates to a product to help smokers cope with nicotine addiction. Preferably it relates to a product to help smokers give up smoking.
Smoking tobacco is currently responsible for 20% of all deaths in the UK, and about half of all regular cigarette smokers will eventually be killed by their habit.
The dangers associated with smoking are widely known and it is estimated that 70% of current smokers in the UK would like to give up completely. Yet, addiction to nicotine is very powerful and cigarette smoking is a difficult habit to break.
There is a wide number of products currently available to help people tackle nicotine addiction by the use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) . NRT comprises the delivery of nicotine to the body by an alternative mechanism to smoking, without the concurrent inhalation of other harmful components found in cigarette smoke. The nicotine may be delivered percutaneously via a nicotine- containing skin patch; by a sublingual tablet; via an inhaler; or buccally, by use of a nicotine-containing chewing gum. Although the latter method is of most relevance with respect to the current invention, the use of other methods to delivery nicotine is not excluded.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products tackle the problem of nicotine addiction: by providing nicotine in isolation from other harmful products, the side effects associated with nicotine withdrawal, experienced when a person gives up smoking, are reduced. Thus feelings of dizziness, restlessness and irritability and cravings for cigarettes, are lessened.
However in spite of these results, many smokers are unsuccessful in their attempts to quit, even when using NRT. One possible reason is that although NRT addresses the problem of addiction to the chemical compound nicotine, it does not tackle the social or behavioural cues which make it hard for people to break the habit.
Many smokers have formed their habit over many years and in certain situations, for example, on social occasions, smoking a cigarette is something they do to occupy their hands as a matter of routine rather than to satisfy a particular craving at that time.
Many existing NRT products are supplied in a manner which is redolent of a medicinal product and/or which does not pay regard to the ritualistic aspect of smoking.
Nicotine-containing chewing gum, for example, is usually in the form of pieces in a blister pack, inside a traditional carton of the type used to sell tablet medicines. Psychologically, taking a dose of this type of NRT product is more reminiscent of taking a tablet, than of smoking a cigarette.
There is some consumer resistance to such products which comprise blister packs supplied in cartons. The cartons may become scuffed, or crushed. The blister packs if removed from the cartons soon become untidy in appearance.
Their use in public places, such as a bar or restaurant where the temptation to smoke is high, is not favoured. It may also be the case that accidental rupture of the blister pack occurs in a pocket or handbag, leading to chewing gum pieces becoming loose in the pocket or handbag. This has several undesirable consequences: the bag or pocket will look untidy, and the gum pieces may become dirty and scuffed; it is not appealing to chew gum which has been loosely contained in a bag or pocket and consequently is likely to be dirty or to carry fluff; if pieces have to be discarded there is a waste of money; and if the last piece of a pack has to be discarded there is likely to be considerable frustration, especially if this happens at a time of a strong nicotine craving, with attendant heightened risk of failure of the NRT program.
Additionally there is the problem that children may easily access medicament tablets or chewing gum pieces that are contained in an easily accessible blister pack, or loosely contained in a handbag due to inadvertent release.
Children may be very tempted by what appears to be chewing gum, not knowing that it contains a medicament.
Another problem associated with the use of, for example, nicotinecontaining chewing gum, is that it may be difficult to monitor the dose taken. Usually it is not recommended that a person chew more than a certain number of pieces of gum in a day, as this can lead to feelings of nausea or dizziness. Such side-effects may discourage users from continuing NRT and hence hinder their attempt to quit smoking.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a product comprising an outer container containing a plurality of individual nicotine-containing elements, each element being a nicotine delivery vehicle to be delivered, in use, into the mouth of a user as a solid, wherein the container has a closure part, the closure part being openable to permit one or more nicotine-containing elements to be removed, and being reclosable.
The present invention is preferably a nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) product, used as an aid for the cessation of smoking. However, it may also be a product which is used in reducing a person's level of smoking. Alternatively it may be a product which is used to help smokers in situations in which they cannot smoke, for example in office environments or on aeroplanes.
The product seeks to assist people to give up smoking by requiring them, in obtaining a nicotine-containing element, to employ actions similar to those which would be employed to remove a cigarette from a cigarette pack.
Thus the invention recognises that use of nicotine in helping people to give up smoking is not just a matter of pharmacology. The invention also seeks to address certain ritualistic or psychological aspects of smoking cigarettes.
Thus, at present a smoker must open the closure part of the cigarette pack in order to remove a cigarette. In accordance with the present invention a person using the present invention must use a similar series of actions when removing a nicotine-containing element. Far from being a hindrance, presenting that person with a similar sequence of actions - the learnt cues associated with smoking - may be of benefit to many people trying to give up smoking. Embodiments envisaged are distinct from traditional packaging used for NRT medicaments. A product in accordance with the invention may also be more appealing to carry around in a handbag or pocket than an existing bare blister pack. It provides protection for nicotine-containing elements and/or blister packs thereof from accidental damage.
The nicotine-containing elements may be selected from, for example, chewing gum, tablets (preferably compressed from particulates), lozenges or pastilles (which lozenges or pastilles may have a sugar or sugar-free base), soluble wafers, or liquid-filled capsules. Liquid-filled capsules are delivered to the mouth in a solid form, even though they contain liquid.
Preferably the nicotine-containing elements comprise chewing gum pieces.
Products which deliver nicotine-containing compositions into the mouth as a spray (powder or droplet) or vapour are not part of the present invention.
Nicotine-containing elements contained within the outer pack are preferably further contained within a blister pack, which may be removed from the outer pack.
Preferably the blister pack is of a type in which each nicotinecontaining element is provided in its own enclosure, which is breached to remove the nicotine- containing element.
However in another embodiment a plurality of nicotine- containing elements could be provided in a common breachable enclosure, for example containing 2-8 nicotine- containing elements.
In another embodiment the nicotine-containing elements could be loose inside the outer pack. By "loose" we mean that they are not restrained in particular locations, as they are in a blister pack. They may have no further packaging, or they may be individually wrapped, like sweets, in paper or cellophane, for example.
The outer pack may be of any shape but suitably it is generally prismatic, or cylindrical. The cross-section may be generally circular, generally oval or generally triangular, for example, but preferably it is generally rectangular.
Alternatively the outer pack may be substantially flat, for example discshaped or, especially tray-shaped.
Preferably the outer pack is comprised from a plastics material, preferably of generally rigid sheet form. A suitable material includes a thermoplastic polymer selected from a polyalkylene and a polyester. Preferably it is comprised from a polyalkylene, most preferably polypropylene.
The closure part selectively covers an opening. When the nicotinecontaining elements are loose this opening may be small so that the elements may be individually dispensed.
It may, for example, comprise an opening which has a cover exposing or covering the opening, under the user's control. The cover may be moved by, for example, a sliding mechanism, or a twisting mechanism. One part of the pack may slide or twist across another to expose the opening.
Alternatively the opening may be large, to facilitate removal of a blister pack containing nicotine-containing elements. In such a device, substantially an entire side or end wall may be moved - for example displaced or removed - to expose the opening. For this purpose the side or end wall may be articulated, as by a hinge mechanism, to the rest of the pack. Alternatively the pack may have a lid which can be completely removed and refitted. The pack may comprise two portions hinged together, which secure together when closed but when opened to allow, for example, a blister pack held therebetween to be removed.
In a particularly preferred embodiment the outer pack has two main walls, preferably in the form of panels, connected together by four narrow side walls. One of the narrow side walls is formed as a hinged wall which flips" back (i.e. one end of the container articulates relative to the remainder), to allow access to the interior. This is the type of closure used on a typical cigarette pack, of the flip-top pack type. It is envisaged in this embodiment that the package as a whole may be reminiscent of a cigarette pack. It is believed that by doing this the person attempting to give up smoking may be aided by such smoking-like cues. In contrast most conventional approaches seem to assume that nonsmoking nicotine delivery should be as far removed from the smoking experience as possible.
Preferably the outer pack has a child-resistant opening mechanism.
Child-resistant opening mechanisms are well known to those skilled in the art, and the present invention may comprise any such opening mechanism.
Typically a child-resistant mechanism requires that two parts be aligned, or that one part is displaced relative to another, before a pack can be opened. It may be the case that pressure must be applied at a specific location, or a certain region must be depressed in order that a pack can be opened.
A device comprising a child-resistant opening mechanism may not easily be opened inadvertently; suitably the opening can not accidentally be released.
As described above, a further problem encountered with current NRT is that it may be difficult to monitor the dose. For example, in the case of nicotine-containing gum, a daily dose of up to fifteen pieces is often recommended. This is a sufficiently large number to make it difficult for people to be certain how many pieces they have used. If too little gum is taken, cravings for cigarettes may not be sufficiently suppressed, but taking too much gum may result in unpleasant side effects. In fact, it is believed that many users inadvertently exceed the recommended daily dose.
The product may contain the recommended daily dose of an NRT program, and no more. It may contain at least the recommended daily dose. It may contain a multiple of the recommended daily dose, for example 2-7 days' supply.
Most preferably the product when fully loaded (for example at the start of a day) contains nicotine-containing elements equal to the recommended daily dose of an NRT program.
The outer pack may be intended to be discarded when emptied of nicotinecontaining elements, or it may be intended to be refilled. In a preferred embodiment, the outer pack contains a blister pack which contains a plurality of nicotine-containing elements equal to the daily dose; preferably with the blister packs being bought or prescribed separately in larger quantities and used to refill the outer pack. The outer pack may be sold without nicotine-containing elements present or, preferably, containing nicotine-containing elements.
In another embodiment, a disposable outer pack contains loose nicotinecontaining elements, for example loose pieces of nicotine-containing chewing gum. Such products may be sold individually or they may be sold in a multi- pack form; providing, for example, a weekly or monthly supply. When sold in a multi-pack form, preferably the outer packs thereof may be separated.
The product may be provided with instructions for the person attempting to give up smoking. Such instructions may suitably be provided on a leaflet inserted into the outer pack. Alternatively the instructions may be provided on the outer pack itself, for example being printed thereon or on a label applied thereto. A plurality of products may be offered, with different types of nicotine-containing elements, and/or different amounts of nicotine.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of providing nicotine without smoking tobacco, for example to aid cessation of smoking, by use of a product as described or defined herein.
The invention will now be further described by way of (non-limiting) examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a product in accordance with the invention having a rigid outer pack having a flip top and containing a blister pack of chewing gum pieces; Fig. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention in which an outer pack has a sliding face and contains a blister pack of nicotine-containing chewing gum pieces; Fig. 3 shows an embodiment in which a blister pack of nicotine-containing chewing gum pieces is held between two hinged portions; Figs. 4(a)-4(d) show an embodiment of the invention in which an outer pack contains loose chewing- gum pieces; and Figs. 5(a)-5(d) shows an embodiment of the invention in which a multi-pack contains a plurality of outer packs containing nicotine chewing gum pieces.
With reference to Fig. 1, a self-supporting outer pack 1 of cuboid form, the same shape as a cigarette pack. The pack has two major walls and four minor walls, serving as edge walls. One of those edge walls is formed as a closure part, being a flip-top lid 2 which may articulate, through hinge 3, about the main body 8 of the pack. A blister pack 4 containing nicotine-containing chewing gum pieces is contained within the pack. Fig. 1 shows the pack in the open position. When the pack is closed, a latch 5 carried by the main body 8 slots into recess 6 formed in the flip-top lid 2 and holds the flip-top lid 2 in a closed position. The pack is made from a plastics material, polypropylene in this embodiment. Thus latch 5 may be displaced from recess 6 by applying a slight pressure just below the latch (at region 7) in order to open the pack. This acts as a child- resistant opening mechanism: it would not be obvious to a child that it is necessary to depress region 7 in order to facilitate opening of the pack. It should not be possible to open the pack otherwise, for example by simply pulling on the flip- top lid 2.
The larger of the major walls (not shown) carries instructional information. The smaller of the major walls, the front wall, will be printed with branding information in use, including a trade mark and any logo.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, a blister pack 10 of nicotinecontaining chewing gum pieces is placed in a tray-like container 11, which is closed by a closure in the form of a sliding top face 12. Sliding top face 12 moves between grooves 13 formed in opposed top edges of container 11 in the directions shown by arrow A. A similar groove 14 is formed along the edge of the container connecting the grooves 13, to provide a limit or home position for the top face, when closed. Container 11 and sliding top face 12 are formed from a rigid plastics material and protect the blister pack from accidental damage. The top face may carry branding information on its upper face and instructional information on its lower face.
Fig. 3 shows an embodiment comprised of plastics portions and 21 which are hinged about their common edge 22.
The two portions may articulate relative to each other through at least 1800. In the fully open position as shown in Fig. 3, a blister pack 23 of nicotine-containing chewing gum pieces is held within the pack and is easily accessible. In the fully closed position, the two portions lie against each other in face-to-face relationship and hold the blister pack between them.
Protrusions 24 are an interference fit in depressions 25 and hold the pack closed. One of the plastic portions 20, 21 may carry branding information and the other may carry instructional information. One or other of the plastics portions may be regarded as the closure part as defined herein.
In the Fig. 3 embodiment the blister pack is removable to remove gum pieces. In another embodiment the blister pack is retained within the portion 21 and protrusions formed on the outer face (not shown) of portion 21 are depressed, to expel gum pieces.
Each of the embodiments described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3, the blister pack may hold a supply of gum corresponding to the recommended daily dose. The outer pack could be discarded then, or it is possible to replace the blister pack each day.
In the embodiment shown in Figs. 4(a)-4(d), the nicotine- containing chewing gum tablets are not further contained in a blister pack. They are loosely contained within a rigid plastics pack. The pack is comprised by upper domed portion 30 shown in Fig. 4(a) and lower portion 31 shown in Fig. 4 (b) . Both are comprised from curved plastics surfaces having the same curvature. Lower portion 30 is moulded to include upwardly projecting region 32 having an aperture 33. It also houses upwardly projecting notches 34. Upper portion 31 has grooves 35 (being equal in number to notches 34) and aperture 36. The two portions fit together as shown in Figs. 4(c) and 4(d). Notches 34 fit into grooves 35, clipping into position with restraint against removal, and thus holding the two portions together. In the closed position shown in Fig. 4(c), the aperture 36 in the top portion lies over plastic region 32, which serves as a closure part. The grooves are long enough to allow a small rotation of the two portions relative to each other. When rotated into the open position shown in Fig. 4(d), apertures 33 and 36 are aligned and a piece of nicotine-containing gum may be dispensed.
Fig. 5(a) shows a further embodiment in a closed position.
Pieces 40 of nicotine-containing chewing gum are loosely contained in a cuboid-shaped plastics pack 41. Fig. 5(b) shows the same embodiment in an open position. Aperture 43 in top surface 42 is covered by closure part in the form of a door 44. When closed, door 44 is held in position by tape 45. Tape 45 is, for example, coated with a contact adhesive which allows the door to be resealed many times. The pack of this embodiment is designed to be disposable. It may be supplied individually, or a number of packs may be supplied in a larger package, as shown in Fig. 5(c). Seven packs 41, each of which contain a single day's dose, are held in a larger box comprised from base portion 46 and lid 47 forming a week's supply.
The Figs. 4 and 5 embodiments may carry branding information and instructional information as described above. Instructional information may alternatively be carried on a leaflet or folded sheet inside the outer pack when the outer pack is intended to be opened, or outside it, for example being adhered to it by a blob of a tacky releasable elastomeric material.
Optionally, a child-resistant opening mechanism could be included in any of the embodiments shown in Figs. 2 to 5.
This could be for example an extra part which must be displaced into a new position in order to allow the outer pack to be opened.
The embodiments described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 all have nicotine-containing chewing gum pieces but other nicotine sources may be employed, for example nicotine tablets intended to be swallowed, or lozenges or pastilles to be sucked, or capsules to be dissolved or ruptured in the mouth, or wafers to be dissolved in the mouth.