Forget stinky, smelly cigarettes! There’s a smokeless tobacco trend that’s got teens and young adults trying something different: nicotine pouches. These small, flavored packets filled with nicotine go between your lip and gums and release nicotine into the bloodstream in 15-45 minutes. Although they are marketed as a “cleaner” and “safer” choice than tobacco products, these tiny pouches are still bad for your health.
Why Are Nicotine Pouches Popular Among Teens?
In Arizona, you must be 21 or older to buy or use tobacco products, including nicotine pouches. While most adults using them are 21 to 24 years old, studies show that over a quarter of current users are underage. According to the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) from the CDC, 1.7% of high school students in Arizona reported using smokeless tobacco products.
Many teens and young adults like nicotine pouches for a few reasons:
- No smoke or smell: They don’t produce smoke or a strong smell like cigarettes, so they can be used more discreetly.
- Easy to find: You can buy them at gas stations, convenience stores, and online, making them easy to get.
- Fun flavors: These pouches also come in different flavors, like berry, cinnamon and citrus, that may be appealing to youth.
Nicotine pouches are often advertised in ways that appeal to young people, leading to more teens trying them. Some brands advertise their nicotine pouches on social media and hire social media influencers to reach an even larger audience. Nicotine is very addictive, and starting at a young age can lead to long-term dependence. Besides affecting oral health, nicotine can also harm brain development in teens, impacting memory, attention and learning.
Health Risks of Using Nicotine Pouches
Even if nicotine pouches seem safer than cigarettes or other kinds of smokeless tobacco, they still come with health risks.
Here’s how they can affect your oral health:
- Gum irritation: Nicotine can irritate your gums, leading to soreness, bleeding and swelling. Using pouches regularly can increase your chances of getting mouth cancer, slow down healing and damage your gums in the long run.
- Dry mouth: Nicotine reduces saliva production, which can make your mouth dry. A dry mouth causes bad breath and raises your chances of getting cavities and gum disease.
- Gum recession: If you keep putting the pouch in the same spot, your gums can pull away from your teeth, making them sensitive and more likely to decay.
- Stained teeth: While nicotine pouches don’t stain teeth like cigarettes do, they can still cause your teeth to yellow over time.
In addition to being bad for oral health, nicotine use can also harm brain development in teens, impacting memory, attention and learning. These pesky little pouches can also alter mood-regulating brain chemistry, increasing anxiety and stress in the long term. Although some teens use it to cope with stress, it can make anxiety symptoms worse over time.
Using nicotine pouches can also lead to serious long-term health problems. These include heart disease, reduced lung function, stroke and an increased risk of oral cancer.
What Can You Do?
If you’re a parent or caregiver, it’s important to talk to young people about the risks of nicotine pouches. Even though they are advertised as a safer option, they can still cause serious health problems. Educating young people about these dangers can help prevent long-term harm.
If you or someone you know is using nicotine pouches, it’s important to understand the risks and seek help if you want to quit.
