This Smart Device Could Keep Your Tobacco Addiction in Check

Two Swedish creatives aim to bring the "internet of things" to the tobacco industry with a smart device aimed at keeping addiction in check.

Snus, a form of powder tobacco, is the most popular tobacco product in Sweden with 19% of the male population using it daily. CP+B Scandinavia art director Max Hultberg and copywriter Rasmus Andersson created the Pouchguard, a tastefully designed snus container equipped with Bluetooth and an automatic lock. After users connect the container to their smartphone, they are able to set intervals for when it will unlock and allow them to take a new pouch. Every time they close the lid, the container automatically locks. A LED-display on the top of the lid acts as a timer to show when the container will re-open again.

The idea has been supported by CP+B Scandinavia, and the pair have launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. They're also looking to apply the concept to other tobacco products as well as to the alcohol and pharmaceutical industries where addiction is a potential problem.