One in eight of 14- to 17-year-olds in Great Britain say they have used nicotine pouches | Health

One in eight teenagers aged 14 to 17 have used nicotine sachets, a survey has found, reinforcing health experts’ concerns about their growing popularity.

Users hold the small sachets, which look like mini tea bags and are often flavored, in their mouth to enjoy the release of the nicotine they contain. They are also known as “snus”.

Unlike smoking, the sachets do not increase the risk of cancer, but they have sparked concern due to fears that users could become addicted to nicotine and suffer oral and dental problems.

A survey of 500 teenagers aged 14 to 17 in England, Scotland and Wales found that 13% had used a nicotine sachet, with 30% saying they did so at least once a week. Most get them from friends or buy them from stores, which have no age restrictions on who they can sell them to.

The same survey, carried out by Deltapoll for consultancy Future Health, found that seven in ten respondents supported the UK government’s planned crackdown on them. The Tobacco and Vaping Bill will ban the sale of sachets to under-18s, will also change packaging and limit the use of flavors and the amount of nicotine to make them less appealing to children and young people.

Steve Brine, a former public health minister, wrote in the foreword to a new Future Health report on the sachets: “These unregulated products are heavily promoted among young people, whether through displays in stores, on social media or through partnerships with UK music festivals. »

Referring to the fact that most major brands were made by cigarette companies, Brine added: “The tobacco industry is constantly looking for the next business opportunity to get a new generation addicted to nicotine. »

Almost half (46%) of the teenagers surveyed have seen advertisements for nicotine sachets, mainly in stores and on social media. Three quarters (73%) want to see restrictions on their promotion, sale and use, while a majority want them to be banned from purchase by under-18s (63%) and to heed health warnings (59%).

The survey was conducted for Kenvue, which makes Nicorette, the over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy that some smokers use to try to quit. Future Health is led by Richard Sloggett, former special adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

The report states: “Health concerns so far have focused on oral health problems such as dry mouth, gum sores or blisters, unusual sensations in the jaw and receding gums.

“[But] Studies have also raised concerns that 30 mg nicotine pouches may have led to higher nicotine consumption than cigarettes and increased arterial stiffness.

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 that “nicotine is toxic to the heart and blood vessels, whether consumed via vape, pouch, shisha or cigarette.” They expressed concern about the recent dramatic increase in the use of vapes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches, particularly among adolescents and young adults.

A separate study published this week in the journal Lancet Public Health found that more than 500,000 people in Britain now use nicotine, with the boom driven by members of Generation Z, particularly young men. The proportion of 16- to 24-year-olds doing so rose from 0.7% in 2022 to 4% this year, according to the study led by Dr Harry Tattan-Birch of University College London.

“Pochettes pose a significantly lower health risk than cigarettes and are probably less harmful than e-cigarettes. However, they are not harmless,” he said.

A spokesperson for Zyn, made by tobacco company Philip Morris International, said: “The reality is that smoke-free products such as nicotine pouches have successfully helped millions of adults give up cigarettes. Public health policymakers should be encouraged because, according to Ash, 96% of adolescents have never tried nicotine pouches.”

Asli Ertonguc, head of British American Tobacco in the UK and Western Europe, pointed out that last week’s Lancet study also found that more smokers are using sachets to help them quit smoking. A ban on snus advertising could put this press in danger, she added.

A spokesperson for Japan Tobacco International, which manufactures Nordic Spirit, said: “We welcome the regulations that prohibit the sale of nicotine products to minors, but we are concerned about certain aspects of the regulations. [tobacco and vapes] legislation that could unnecessarily harm an emerging category and risk undermining the UK’s success in promoting alternatives to smoking if passed.

A DHSC spokesperson said: “We are acting to protect people’s health and stop young people becoming addicted to nicotine. Currently, nicotine sachets are far less regulated than nicotine vapes. This will change. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will make it illegal to sell nicotine sachets and other nicotine products to anyone under the age of 18 to keep young people safe.”