One in eight of 14- to 17-year-olds in Great Britain say they have used nicotine pouches | Health
One in eight teens ages 14 to 17 use nicotine pouches, according to a survey, raising concerns among health experts about their growing popularity.
Users enjoy the release of the nicotine they contain by holding the small bags, which resemble mini tea bags and are often flavored, in their mouths. They are also known as “snus”.
Unlike cigarettes, the pouches do not increase the risk of cancer, but they have caused alarm due to fears that users will become addicted to nicotine and experience oral and dental problems.
A survey of 500 young people aged 14 to 17 in England, Scotland and Wales found that 13% of them used nicotine pouches, and 30% of them said they did so at least once a week. Many get them from friends or buy them from stores that have no age restrictions on who they can sell them to.
The same survey by Deltapoll for consultancy Future Health found that seven in 10 respondents support the UK government’s planned crackdown on them. In addition to banning the sale of pouches to those under 18, the tobacco and e-cigarette bill would also prohibit changing packaging and limiting the use of flavors and the amount of nicotine to make them less attractive to children and teenagers.
“These unregulated products are being sold heavily to young people, whether through shop windows, social media or partnerships with music festivals in the UK,” Steve Brine, a former public health minister, wrote in the foreword to a new report on the bags from Future Health.
Pointing out that most of the main brands are produced by cigarette companies, Brine added: “The tobacco industry is constantly looking for the next business opportunity that will get the next generation addicted to nicotine.”
Almost half (46%) of young people surveyed had seen nicotine pouches advertised, mostly in stores and on social media. Three-quarters (73%) want restrictions on the promotion, sale and use of these products, while majorities want it to be illegal for under-18s to buy these products (63%) and for health warnings to be withdrawn (59%).
The survey was conducted for Kenvue, which also makes Nicorette, an over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy that some smokers use to try to quit. Future Health is led by Richard Sloggett, a former special adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
The report states: “To date, health concerns have focused on oral health issues such as dry mouth, gum lesions or blisters, unusual jaw sensations and gum recession.
“[But] Studies have also raised concerns that 30mg nicotine pouches lead to higher nicotine intake and increased arterial stiffness compared to cigarettes.”
Sales of brands such as Velo, Nordic Spirit and Zyn are growing rapidly.
A group of international health experts Warned this week in the European Heart Journal “Nicotine is toxic to the heart and blood vessels regardless of whether consumed via e-cigarette, vape, hookah or cigarette.” They expressed concern about the recent dramatic increase in the use of e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches, especially among adolescents and young adults.
A separate study published this week in the Lancet Public Health journal found that more than 500,000 people in Britain now use nicotine, with the rise being driven by members of Generation Z, particularly young men. from University College London. According to research led by Harry Tattan-Birch, the rate of young people aged 16-24 increased from 0.7 percent in 2022 to 4 percent this year.
“Sachets pose a much lower health risk than cigarettes and are probably less harmful than e-cigarettes. But they are not harmless,” he said.
A spokesman for Zyn, made by tobacco firm Philip Morris International, said: “The reality is that smoke-free products such as nicotine pouches have successfully supported millions of adults to quit smoking. According to Ash, public health policy makers should be encouraged that 96% of young people have never tried nicotine pouches.”
Aslı Ertonguç, president of British American Tobacco in the UK and Western Europe, emphasized that Lancet’s research last week revealed that an increasing number of smokers are using bags to help quit smoking. He added that banning snus ads could put the press at risk.
A spokesman for Japan Tobacco International, which produces Nordic Spirit, said: “We welcome the regulation banning the sale of nicotine products to minors, but we have concerns about some aspects of nicotine products. [tobacco and vapes] “It is a law that could cause unnecessary harm to an emerging category and, if passed, risks undermining the UK’s success in promoting alternatives to smoking.”
A DHSC spokesman said: “We are acting to protect people’s health and prevent young people from becoming addicted to nicotine. Currently nicotine pouches are much less regulated than nicotine e-cigarettes. This will change. The tobacco and e-cigarette bill will make it illegal to sell nicotine pouches and other nicotine products to anyone under 18 to keep young people safe.”
