Companies on both sides of the Atlantic are using the boom in functional foods and beverages to add fuel to their anti-smoking remedies.
The latest to jump on the bandwagon is Germany-based Nautilus GmbH Laboratoriumsbedarf, which has re-launched its herbal stop-smoking remedy NicoMed as an energy drink. The company has also received approval to market the product as a food supplement from the German Health Authorities.
NicoMed contains guarana, the South American berry reputed to boost energy and act as an aphrodisiac, which allows it to fit easily into the functional beverage category. Guarana, chemically similar to caffeine, is also claimed to be effective against nicotine cravings.
The drink's European distributor is using a 15-minute infomercial for cable TV stations to kickstart the launch. It is also bringing in Hagen Zauft, previously with the Danish energy drink Cult Energy Activator, to head up the marketing for the smoking-cessation drink throughout Europe.
Earlier this year, a firm in the US, Platinum Products, said it was to start marketing nicotine drinks, either water- or fruit juice-based, for people trying to cut down on tobacco-containing products.
Nautilus GmbH Laboratoriumsbedarf is also planning to launch a stronger version of NicoMed during the upcoming Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich. The new 'beer-like' beverage, Smoke energy brew, is a malt re-mix of NicoMed with 5.4 per cent neutral grain alcohol from beer.