The use of nicotine pouches by secondary school students is causing serious concern in schools, with some officials suggesting a situation approaching epidemic proportions.
According to Paul Crone, director of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), rapidly changing youth smoking habits are making it harder to combat these issues. "For a long time, smoking was our main concern. Then vaping took over, and now it's nicotine pouches," he explains.
Easily available in Ireland, these pouches are white and contain nicotine powder, along with various flavors and additives. Although often confused with snus—a tobacco product banned in Europe except Sweden—nicotine pouches differ in that they do not contain tobacco.
The discreet nature of their use, with the bags being placed between the lip and gum, makes them extremely difficult to detect for educational staff. However, schools do note certain clues, such as the presence of used bags abandoned in the hallways.
Crone points out that the symptoms of regular use—irritability, attention deficit disorder—are beginning to be linked to students' use of these products. "Nicotine addiction is becoming a commonplace phenomenon in young people's behavior," he laments.
This trivialization is reportedly fueled by influencers and sports personalities, who promote these products on their social networks, presenting them as trendy and harmless.
A recent report commissioned by the British Professional Footballers' Association found that around one in five professional players, both men and women, use snus or nicotine pouches.
Faced with this rapid expansion, many voices are calling for stricter supervision of the sale of these products to young people.
