A serious new threat to health of children is being ignored

TWO decades after Ireland became the first country in the world to ban smoking in the workplace, the Government this week signalled its intention to increase the minimum age for the purchase of tobacco products to 21. The move comes just six months after a ban on the sale of vapes to under-18s. While it is hard to argue with the merits of either public health initiative, at the same time the Government is ignoring an insidious new threat to the welfare of Ireland’s young people by allowing the unregulated sale and marketing of nicotine pouches. Known colloquially as ‘snus’, the pouches are not to be confused with the Swedish non-inhalant tobacco product they take their name from, which cannot be legally sold in the UK or in most EU countries, including Ireland.

Thanks to social media influencers, on TikTok in particular, nicotine pouches have become the new fashionable craze for teenagers. Media reports of high-profile football stars using pouches have further fuelled demand among this impressionable age group. Incredibly, despite containing high levels of nicotine – often more than twice that of a cigarette – they can be purchased over the counter as easily as a bag of sweets.

The absence of any research into the sale of nicotine pouches to under-18s makes it difficult to monitor the extent of their usage. However, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence from which we can draw. Just ask any teenager you know about snus, and they will tell you how prevalent it is within their circle of friends.

Schools have become increasingly concerned about the use of nicotine pouches, so much so that the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals has called on the HSE to issue an advisory note on the product.

This is a problem hiding in plain sight. With vaping, students run the risk of being easily caught by their teachers. But nicotine pouches are discreet. They are like tiny teabags, which are placed under the user’s lip up against the gum, with nicotine directly absorbed into the bloodstream.

Part of what makes this trend so worrying is that it is virtually impossible for a teacher to detect if the pouches are being used during class.

Most parents are completely oblivious to the fact that their children are using nicotine pouches.

Unlike cigarettes, there is no pungent smell on their clothes. Equally, there are no vaping devices to be found in pockets, or at the bottom of a schoolbag.

Children are silently and unwittingly becoming dependent on one of the most addictive drugs available. While branded by some companies as a safer alternative to smoking – or as a tool to quit cigarettes – they should be viewed as a gateway to nicotine addiction.

It is telling that some tobacco companies have introduced their own brands of nicotine pouches.

The question is: are they trying to help people give up cigarettes or cynically grooming the next generation of smokers?

To me, it appears more like the latter. Much like vaping products, nicotine pouches are available in a variety of flavours, including mint, lemon and strawberry, to make them attractive to teenagers.

APART from the risk of addiction, the long-term health effects of nicotine pouches are largely unknown. There is growing concern about the potential impact of nicotine on the cognitive development of those under the age of 25. Memory loss and inability to concentrate have been cited as potential side effects, along with nausea and gum irritation.

There have also been reports of young people becoming ‘nic-sick’ from using pouches, with excessive intake of nicotine leading to symptoms such as increased heart rate, dizziness, and vomiting.

We should not be prepared to tolerate such a threat to our children’s health. The truth is, in the absence of regulation, we don’t fully know or understand what we’re dealing with. It is deeply disturbing that nicotine pouches can be sold and marketed in Ireland in a regulatory vacuum.

In January, I raised my concerns in a series of parliamentary questions to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly. I asked if he was aware of the increasing number of under18s using these unregulated nicotine products and if any analysis had been done on the health risks associated with their use. I also pointed out that these products are flavoured, brightly packaged, marketed, and given prominent placement behind the counter in most shops, similar to vapes.

The minister confirmed that nicotine pouches are not covered by domestic or EU tobacco control legislation, with some member states classifying them as either foodstuff or medicine. He said regulation of nicotine pouches is being discussed at EU level, both in terms of how the products are categorised and in the context of the review of the Tobacco Products Directive. According to Mr

Donnelly, an EU public consultation was carried out in 2023 on further regulation of ‘novel products’ such as nicotine pouches, and a proposal from the Commission is expected this year.

THE minister’s understanding is that the prevalence of nicotine pouch use remains low in the adult population across the EU. He added that data on adolescent use of the product in Ireland will be collected this year as part of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD).

Bizarrely, given the lack of research and absence of regulation, the minister said there was very little independent evidence available regarding health harms from nicotine pouches – apart from the fact, of course, that they contain an addictive substance.

Five months later and I have yet to receive any update from Mr Donnelly. This week, I wrote to the Taoiseach to outline my concerns and also raised the matter directly with him in the Dáil. The Taoiseach agreed that the use of nicotine pouches sounds like ‘an alarming and concerning situation’ for parents and teachers, and committed to raising the issue with the Minister for Health.

He must now match his words with action and introduce urgent legislation to regulate the sale and marketing of nicotine pouches. We cannot tolerate companies profiting off the backs of our young people and running rings around the Government. Nicotine pouches must be put permanently out of reach of anyone under the age of 18. Nothing less than the health and wellbeing of our children is at stake.

As for the minister and the Government, they need to be far more alert when it comes to the cynical plans of big tobacco to groom the next generation of addicts.

■ Jennifer Whitmore is the Social Democrats’ spokeswoman on children.