Nicotine Pouches with eyes catching packaging and Sweet tastes are available Business standards have warned to buy children because the product falls between regulatory gaps.
Currently no law restricted Age of sales for nicotine pouchesWhich means that a child can enter a shop and these addictive products can be sold, Chartered Trading Standard Institute (CTSI) has said.
Nicotine pouches are small pouches placed between the upper lips and gums. Unlike other products, such as SNUS, these pouches do not contain tobacco and bus. Leave nicotine slowlyLike Veps, they come to tastes including mango, berry and cherry ice.
Pouch may be similar to a vape between 1.5mg and 20mg nicotine, but is not regulated as a specific tobacco or nicotine product.
Action data on smoking and health published last month showed that in 2024, only 38 percent of children from 11– to 17 years knew what a nicotine bag was. Now that figure has been shot up to 43 percent.
While only 4 percent of children from 11- to 17 year olds use nicotine pouches, the sentinel is afraid that it will grow without an age restriction on the product.
The warning comes as trading standards, visiting businesses to ensure that they are no longer Selling single-use weapsWhich are now illegal to supply in the UK.
During the trips, trading standards have seen the nicotine pouch displayed in a plain view in front of the check-out areas in shops, on increasing the popularity of these products among school children.
The Watchdog has warned that this nicotine product is prudent and can easily be indefinite by teachers and parents.
Duncan Stephennson, director of policy and external affairs in CTSI, said, “It sounds like a very strange-a game-as is dealt with a product, another emerges and emerges-the availability of-anxious harmful products is promoted and sold to our children.”
He said, “Nicotine pouches are the latest examples, in which there is a risk of appealing to young people with sleek marketing, sweet flavor and colorful packaging, whether it is intended or not.”
Nicotine is a high addictive substance, and in high doses it can cause headaches, a racing heart, nausea and stomach cramps.
Ash’s Chief Executive Officer Hazel Cheesman said, “While they are much less likely to be harmful than smoking, they contain nicotine that is addictive, and long -term health effects are not known.”
Tobacco and Vapes Bill, currently making its way through Parliament, sells these nicotine products illegal to anyone under 18 years of age.
This will introduce powers to restrict the use of hair-appeal tastes, packaging and advertising, as well as decides that they can be kept in stores.
“Strong, active Regulation It is necessary to protect children and prevent these products from slipping through a rift, ”said Mr. Stephennson.
Trading Standards are calling to transfer tobacco and VAPES bills to the parliamentary timetable to ensure a sharp implementation. It wants nicotine pouches to be out of the reach of children and to ensure that business owners do not exploit this age sanctions.
Kate Pike, Prominent CTSI officer for tobacco and vapor, said: “We are raising reports from the concerned parents and teachers that shops are marketing and selling nicotine pouches to children. It is incredibly disappointing that currently we can not do anything to stop them.
“We have been asking for the age of sales on the nicotine pouch for some time and it was pleased when the remedy was included in the tobacco and Veps Bill.”