Nicotine pouches Northern Ireland: Concerns about nicotine high which is lawful for children to buy from supermarkets
A new nicotine product is on sale in Northern Ireland which presents significant health risks - but is perfectly legal for children to buy from shops and supermarkets.
The News Letter can confirm that one major supermarket chain is selling around a dozen varieties of nicotine pouches, but the Department of Health has confirmed there are currently no restrictions on them being sold to children.
Lagan College in Belfast recently highlighted growing concerns about the pouches to parents in a routine news letter.
Principal Amanda McNamee told the News Letter that while the pouches had not yet appeared in her school, she wanted to "forewarn parents about the potential risks" and was giving them an "early warning".
The pouches have been described as akin to a small tea bag which contains nicotine, and is held in the mouth against the cheek for rapid absorption.
It is illegal to sell any tobacco or nicotine vaping products in Northern Ireland to anyone under 18 - but there are currently no restrictions on the sale of nicotine pouches to children.
In her recent news letter Mrs McNamee highlighted the nicotine pouches, saying they originated in Sweden.
"We believe these pouches are starting to become available to children in Northern Ireland," she warned parents.
"A ‘nicotine pouch,’ is placed inside the mouth. Early research raises concern about cheek and gum health, as well as adverse reactions, when the quantity of nicotine enters the bloodstream without proper medical prescription.
"Our school rule is clear - vaping, smoking or any other drug paraphernalia/medication brought into our school setting is not permitted unless approved and prescribed by a doctor and known by the Principal.
"As a school, we wish to work in a preventative way, especially as we have all seen the damaging and addictive effect of vapes, and their accessibility, to even very young children in society. "
A Department of Health Northern Ireland spokeswoman confirmed said: “There are currently no age of sale or advertising restrictions for nicotine pouches, and unlike vapes, there are no set nicotine limits and nicotine strengths vary.
"The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently progressing through Westminster, will rectify this by aligning age of sale with vapes, banning the advertising and sponsorship of these products and introducing regulations to set limits for nicotine.”
The bill will make it an offence to sell a vaping or nicotine product to a person who is under the age of 18, it said, adding that it would continue to engage with councils across NI to monitor the impact of these products.
Earlier this month the Northern Ireland Assembly passed a motion to include NI in the Westminster bill.
Former Lord Mayor of Belfast and retired GP Dr John Kyle has been campaigning against the easy availability of vapes for children.
He said that nicotine pouches are "a bad idea".
"They deliver high doses of nicotine rapidly into the bloodstream, are almost certainly unregulated and their effects are unpredictable," he added. " Chewing tobacco – which has a similar effect - is associated with high prevalence of tongue and mouth cancers - a particularly nasty group of cancers which are particularly difficult to treat). This is yet another serious health risk for young people living in a Wild West of drugs and addictive substances."