An operation by the National Republican Guard (GNR) dismantled an illegal laboratory for the “large-scale” production and packaging of counterfeit chewing tobacco in the municipalities of Lisbon and Sintra, but the mixture, in addition to tobacco and menthol, arecoline was identified by the PJ scientific police for the first time in Portugal.

“Although it was tobacco, it was suspected that it could contain another substance. We did the analysis and identified arecoline. It is not a new substance, it is already known, so it was also easier for us to identify it, because if it was a first time it would require other types of techniques and it would be more time-consuming”, explained Carla Ferreira, scientific police specialist.

According to Carla Ferreira, there is still no toxicological data that allows us to assess the synergy risks of the joint consumption of nicotine and arecoline, but analysis is being carried out, with the specialist highlighting that the consumption of this natural substance is typically carried out in Asian countries by chewing the areca nut, fruit of the palm tree with the same name, in order to obtain a stimulating effect.

“We know that it is a stimulating substance, it interacts with the receptors that nicotine also interacts with (…) Therefore, as it was counterfeit tobacco, they added this compound. The objective was to enhance the stimulating potential of nicotine, that is, to be even more powerful”.

As this was the first seizure of the substance in the country, the PJ does not yet have information on the scale of consumption in Portugal or on sales, said Carla Ferreira.