Author-Markus

Markus Lindblad

Head of Legal & External Affairs

About Markus

Markus Lindblad is Head of Legal & External Affairs at Haypp, advocating for alternative nicotine products and leading tobacco harm reduction campaigns.

Markus has been working with Haypp since 2018 and is passionate about helping make the UK smoke-free. He is a former adviser in corporate communication & government affairs at several communications agencies. He also held several senior positions in regulated industries such as banking, finance, and tobacco. Markus studied economic history and political science at Stockholm University.

He enjoys taking care of his kids and keeping them and their friends out of trouble! He likes working out, especially running in the forest. Markus also has a weakness for good food and good wine and enjoying both in the Stockholm Archipelago.

Expertise:

Strategic communications
Government Relations
Public Affairs
Regulatory Affairs

Most recent articles

More articles from the author

four recycling bins against a white wall

Retailers Falling Short On Recycling Obligations

A Haypp investigation reveals serious shortcomings among UK vape retailers regarding their legal obligation to provide vape recycling services. To combat this, Haypp recommends a nicotine products licensing scheme that would not only promote responsible retail practices, but also tackle issues such as underage access.

2026-11-04 4 min read

person holding credit card while shopping online

Putting Age-Verification Systems to the Test: Online Retailers

How effectively do UK online retailers age-gate nicotine products? Haypp commissioned mystery shopping tests across 24 online retailers to find out. The findings reveal that age checks are typically robust across the majority of retailers tested, but there is one group of online retailers with no age verification process at all.

2026-10-19 8 min read

Putting Age-Verification Systems to the Test: Physical Retailers

Putting Age-Verification Systems to the Test: Physical Retailers

Preventing youth access to nicotine products is a priority for responsible retailers. To assess how consistently UK retailers apply age verification checks, Haypp commissioned mystery shopping tests at 73 physical retail outlets. The results reveal significant gaps in the age verification processes among many retailers.

2026-10-19 5 min read

stockholm waterfront view

UK Follows Sweden and Norway’s Path Away from Smoking

New UK figures offer fresh evidence that access to lower-risk nicotine products is helping drive smoking rates down, mirroring trends already seen in Sweden and Norway.

2026-10-15 3 min read

Synthetic Nicotine

Synthetic Nicotine: The Future of Nicotine Production?

For decades, nicotine products have relied on one source: the tobacco plant. But as technology advances, a new contender is emerging—synthetic nicotine. Created in a lab, this alternative is changing the way nicotine is produced and marketed.

2026-09-30 4 min read

nicotine pouch cans on the wall

NicoLeaks Relaunches with 1,200+ Nicotine Pouch Lab Tests

NicoLeaks.com is marking its fifth anniversary with the launch of a redesigned platform, giving consumers easier access to more than 1,200 laboratory tests of nicotine pouch products.

2026-09-21 2 min read

Nearly Three-Quarters of Pouch Users Oppose Flavour Ban

Nearly Three-Quarters of Pouch Users Oppose Flavour Ban

A survey of Haypp Group’s UK customers has found overwhelming opposition to a ban on flavours in nicotine pouches. The survey of over 1,800 customers found that almost three-quarters (73%) oppose a flavour ban, with just 7% supporting it.

2026-09-15 2 min read

Uk flag symbolising the UK and its smokefree journey

What Sweden’s Smoke-Free Milestone Means for the UK

Sweden is set to make history as Europe’s first smoke-free nation. For the UK and other countries looking to eliminate smoking, what lessons are there to learn from this Nordic country’s pragmatic approach to harm reduction and nicotine alternatives?

2026-08-21 4 min read

Have Your Say on UK Nicotine Pouch Packaging Rules

Have Your Say on UK Nicotine Pouch Packaging Rules

The UK government is considering far-reaching restrictions on the packaging of nicotine pouches and vaping products. If introduced, the proposals would require nicotine pouch packaging to be white with basic, standardised design. The government is also proposing to restrict flavour descriptions to a single lead flavour.

2026-08-17 5 min read

Flat overlay of vapes, nicotine pouches, and cigarettes

Nicotine Harm Perceptions in the UK: Part Two

Part Two of our UK nicotine harm perceptions series looks at where people who use different products get their information—and why that matters.

2026-07-23 5 min read

a pack of cigarettes next to a can of nicotine pouches

Nicotine Pouch Use Highest Among Smokers and Ex-Smokers

A new report from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) shows that nicotine pouch use in Great Britain is mostly concentrated among people who smoke or have smoked in the past. The data shows no indications that pouch use is increasing among adults who have never smoked.

2026-07-16 2 min read

a group of people talking and smiling

Why Healthy Life Years Matter More Than Lifespan

Healthy life years matter more than lifespan alone, with a new report suggesting that living longer is only beneficial if those additional years are spent in good health. The report also explores how the UK, Ireland, and EU countries compare on healthy ageing, finding that Ireland leads compared to parts of the UK.

2026-07-08 3 min read

open can of nicotine pouches and vapes

Nicotine Harm Perceptions in the UK: Part One

How do views about nicotine differ between cigarette smokers, vapers, nicotine pouch users, and people who do not use nicotine at all? Our latest UK survey suggests that product experience plays a major role in how adults understand—and often misunderstand—the effects of nicotine.

2026-07-08 5 min read

The US Just Made Relative Risk Harder To Ignore

The FDA has authorised modified risk claims for 20 ZYN nicotine pouch products, recognising that switching completely from cigarettes can reduce the risk of certain smoking-related diseases. Find out why this decision is important for the UK debate on tobacco harm reduction.

2026-07-03 2 min read

Women lights up a cigarette

The Problem with Tobacco Control and How to Fix It

Smoking rates have fallen over the past 20 years, but progress is slowing. MPOWER is a World Health Organization framework that relies on taxes, restrictions, and bans to reduce smoking. This article discusses an alternative EMPOWER framework that could push smoking rates down further.

2026-06-30 3 min read

hand with credit card next to a laptop screen showing online shop

The UK’s ‘Digital Wild West’ Puts UK Consumers At Risk

The digital wild west of modern e-commerce is putting UK consumers at risk and making it easier for underage users to access adult-only products. Haypp is calling for updated regulations to close loopholes and hold online sellers accountable.

2026-06-30 3 min read

Former WHO Experts Urge UK to Rethink Smoking Policy - Haypp UK

Former WHO Researchers Call for Harm Reduction to Tackle Smoking

A new article in the medical journal The Lancet argues that UK tobacco and nicotine policy needs to shift its focus. As well as preventing young people from starting to smoke, policy must also aim to reduce smoking rates among current adults smokers. According to the researchers, creating a “smoke-free generation” is not enough to stop the harms caused by smoking.

2026-06-30 2 min read

US Military warns: Nicotine Pouches Could Lead to Prison in France

US Military warns: Nicotine Pouches Could Lead to Prison in France

American soldiers travelling through Europe are now being told to leave their nicotine pouches at home. The reason is France’s new total ban on pouches – a law that can lead to high fines and even prison. The ban has been criticised by Sweden and other countries that support a more risk-based approach to the regulation of nicotine products.

2026-06-23 2 min read

Study: Fruit Vape Flavours Aid UK Smoking Cessation

Study Highlights Prominent Role of Fruit Flavours in UK Stop Smoking Services

Flavoured vaping products are a central feature of smoking cessation support provided by many UK stop smoking services.

2026-06-09 3 min read

Sydney Opera House against a blue sky

Illegal Tobacco and Nicotine Policy: Lessons from Australia and Sweden

Australia has in recent years experienced a rapidly growing illegal cigarette market, a development that coincides with extremely high taxes and very strict regulation of nicotine products.

2026-06-04 3 min read

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