Urgent warning to Scots parents over high-strength nicotine pouches being sold to children disguised as sweets

Scottish Sun

10 hours ago

An investigation has uncovered where they are being sold
NICO-TEEN ALERT Urgent warning to Scots parents over high-strength nicotine pouches being sold to children disguised as sweets
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HIGHLY-addictive nicotine is being sold disguised as SWEETS to make them more appealing to children in Scotland.
Super-strength pouches are being hidden in plain sight and stored in fake packaging to look like popular brands.
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The pouches are being sold disguised in sweet packets
Credit: BBC
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The pouches contain more nicotine than a cigarette
Credit: Getty
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They are rubbed on the gum to deliver a hit
Credit: Getty
A BBC Disclosure probe found the substances being brazenly punted in the same packaging as popular sweet Millions for just £7.50.
The tiny candies are extremely popular with youngsters, sparking fears the pouches are being targeted towards kids.
A tub with Millions branding and pictures of the orange-flavoured sweets revealed a dozen sachets.
The packets are rubbed on the lip or gum to deliver a hit.
But the patches, despite being less harmful than cigarettes, pose real dangers.
Nicotine is used in cigarettes, and those who become addicted to it can end up at risk of heart disease, blood pressure problems and even seizures.
Dentist have also warned the pouches can wreck oral health, leading to receding gums, gum disease and even lead to people losing their TEETH.
Kate Pike, from the Chartered Institute of Trading Standards, told the broadcaster: "Millions sweets are clearly a product for children and there is no reason to link them with nicotine pouches unless you want to attract children.
"If this was alcohol, there would be an outcry. A child coming across that would think it's for them and nicotine is a highly addictive substance.'
Snus has surged in popularity after being used by footballers, influencers and being seen on social media.
Watch nicotine pouch users describe being hooked on the drug
A shop worker told the undercover reporter the pouches were 'extra special' and had 100mg of nicotine, ten times stronger than a cigarette.
When they tested it, they discovered the pouch had 17mg - which legit sellers deem to be extra strength.
The packing came with no warnings and look exactly like a packet of sweets, with no way to tell what it inside.
Stirling Uni Professor Crawford Moodie said: "The fact that companies are putting these on the market and retailers are quite happy to sell them shows that we are not in a good place with respect to controlling the nicotine pouch market and protecting young people in particular.'
The East End shop that sold the product has since taken it off their shelves.
Golden Casket, the firm who make Millions, have vowed to take action against people using their brands to sell nicotine to kids.
A spokesperson said: ''The nicotine products being offered on these sites and in stores are neither authorised nor approved by us and constitute violations of our intellectual property rights as well as posing a potential threat to health.
'We take these matters extremely seriously and are continuously in consultation with our legal representatives and take such action as we are advised by them.
'We will continue to pursue these matters through the appropriate authorities, but copyright infringement is a long standing and ongoing industry wide issue.''