Have you heard of nicotine pouches and are they the latest teenage craze? Alicia Drummond, Founder of Teen Tips & The Wellbeing Hub

Because we’re connected to so many schools, we stay on top of emerging trends (thank you) and it seems nicotine pouches are the new thing on the block. They are the fastest growing nicotine delivery product in the US and are becoming increasingly popular in the UK.

Derived from the traditional Swedish snuff (pronounced snoos), nicotine pouches offer tobacco-free smoking. They are made using a dehydrated form of nicotine with added flavors (think cherry, strawberry, mint) and usually contain plant fibers and sweeteners. They usually contain 8 mg of nicotine per pouch, but nicotine levels can be higher or lower. They are sold in supermarkets and online and cost around £5 for twenty. Unlike smoking or vaping, they can be used anywhere and anytime because they sit neatly between the lip and gums and do not produce vapor, smoke or smell.

They are usually kept in the mouth for an hour and must not be swallowed (see a doctor if swallowed). While the absence of tobacco is a good thing, nicotine is highly addictive and having it in such a subtle way means some young people use it to get a nicotine hit in class.

Nicotine sachets are not considered medicine. They can’t be sold to minors, but that doesn’t stop young people from getting their hands on them, and while they’re undoubtedly less harmful than both smoking and vaping, they’re not harmless. For all of us, nicotine increases our heart rate and causes a surge of endorphins that can relieve stress and pain. It also stimulates the release of dopamine, which creates feelings of pleasure and reward, but the feeling of reward is short-lived, so people do more to get more, thus creating a cycle of use/addiction.

Nicotine is especially harmful during adolescence, when the brain is still developing. It can negatively affect the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control, but nicotine use has many other side effects, including:


It is important that we talk to young people about the risks associated with nicotine pouches so that they can make informed choices.

What are the current rules regarding nicotine pouches?
Europe – UK: As nicotine pouches are tobacco-free products and do not carry medicinal claims, they are not regulated by the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (TRPR) or the MHRA. The most applicable regulation is GPSR (General Product Safety Regulations). Recently, the COT Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products, and the Environment has published a preliminary document on the bioavailability of nicotine and other ingredients from oral nicotine patch use and risk assessment to users.