A new study has revealed one of the first looks at the perceptions young Australians have on the use of nicotine pouches.
Nicotine pouches, like Zyn, have been on the rise globally. Sales in the United States increased by 305 per cent from 2016 to 2020, with the products marketed as a safer and “tobacco-free” nicotine product.
New research from the Cancer Council’s Generation Vape, provided exclusively to PEDESTRIAN.TV, has lifted the lid on young Australians’ attitudes to nicotine pouches, especially in the wake of Australia’s new vaping laws.
“Tobacco companies have a long history of adapting and changing their products to reach new markets,” said Associate Professor Becky Freeman, University of Sydney Chief Investigator of the Generation Vape project.
“They launch new products to skirt tough regulations and undermine public health gains. This rise we are seeing in nicotine pouch use appears to be yet another example of this old pattern.”
The Rise Of Nicotine Pouches In Australia
Flavoured pouches, or colloquially known by the brand name ‘Zyn’ deliver nicotine into the body through the mouth by being placed between the lip and the gum.
They entered the Australian market in late 2023 and since January this year 1.3 million nicotine pouches have been seized. That’s 950 per cent more than the total number of nicotine pouches seized in the two years prior.
The study spoke with 14 to 27 year-old Aussies and found that the pouches are perceived as a ‘healthier’ alternative to vaping. Some participants said they started using the pouches as a way to quit vaping or smoking, but none of the participants involved said they were able to successfully do this via the pouches.
Unlike nicotine replacement therapies like patches or gum, the flavoured nicotine pouches haven’t been approved by the TGA because their quality, safety and efficacy haven’t been evaluated in Australia.
Other reasons participants said they were using the pouches included enhancing their sporting performance, an alternative to vaping, and as a party drug.
“My mate brought a packet to the gym two days ago, and they were full-strength ones and I put two in my mouth, and then yeah, I had that, I got nic-sick… I put them in, five minutes later it was just like, I just felt sick straight away,” said one participant who is a regular vaper.
Another said, “Well recently they’ve kind of gone big, even people that don’t vape have gone ‘oh yeah try out these Zyns’. Everyone’s making like a massive deal about ’em.”
The Risk Of Using Nicotine Pouches
Despite the study finding that some young Aussies perceive the pouches as a ‘healthier’ alternative to vaping or smoking, these products are still harmful. A 2024 study in Germany found that pouches contained more than 50mg of nicotine per pouch. This is an amount of nicotine that’s likely to bring on dependence. More than half of the nicotine pouches sampled in the study also contained carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamines.
Experts believe extended and regular use of nicotine pouches can increase your risk of oral health problems too.
With the rapid rise of vaping among young people and the subsequent major regulatory reforms that were brought in to curb these rates, the study is calling for further regulatory attention to reduce the risk of a spike in pouch use just like we saw with vaping.
“Although nicotine pouches cannot be legally sold in Australia, the products made by Big Tobacco are reaching the hands of young people,” Associate Professor Freeman said.
“The current policy and enforcement approach needs to be actively monitored and reviewed to ensure it is effective in preventing ongoing nicotine addiction in our communities.”
The post ‘They’re Big On Nights Out’: New Study Lifts The Lid On Nicotine Pouch Use Of Young Aussies appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
