Nicotine Pouches Poisoning Children at an Alarming Rate in The US
The pouches, also known as 'white snus', usually contain nicotine powder with added sweeteners and flavors. They are designed to be tucked between the lip and gum so that the drug is gradually released into the user's bloodstream.
US poison centers only began tracking nicotine pouch ingestion as a specific source of poisoning in 2020. Yet in the following three years the rate of reported cases of children younger than 6 eating nicotine pouches increased by 763 percent.
This massive rise is especially concerning given that white snus was 1.5 times more likely to result in serious medical outcomes, and twice as likely to result in a hospital admission, than ingestion of other nicotine products such as gum or liquid nicotine for electronic vaporizers, known as e-liquids.
Related:
"Nicotine pouches are a serious and growing toxic ingestion hazard among young children," says medical director of the Central Ohio Poison Center Hannah Hays, who worked on the study.
"The rapid increase in the number and comparative severity of nicotine pouch ingestions is a reminder of the public health challenges of the changing nicotine product market. This is why we need to continue ongoing surveillance and increase our efforts to prevent nicotine ingestions among young children."
The study encompassed 134,663 cases of any kind of nicotine ingestion among young children reported to US poison centers between 2010 and 2023. Most of these ingestions occurred at home among children younger than 2 years.
It also revealed the serious risks e-liquids pose to young children, with a similar proportion of serious medical outcomes as the nicotine pouches. The study details the tragic deaths of two young boys – 12 months and 17 months old – who, in separate instances, died after ingesting nicotine liquids designed for use in vapes.
Thankfully, the study also revealed that since legislation introduced in 2015, nicotine ingestion rates among young children have decreased overall.
"This abrupt change in the rate trend for liquid nicotine ingestions corresponded with the passage of both state and federal legislation, including the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2015, which required child-resistant packaging of liquid nicotine," says pediatrician Gary Smith from Nationwide Children's Hospital.
"This suggests that legislation can make a difference. However, despite this improvement, the ingestion rate for liquid nicotine remained higher than the rates for any other nicotine product, which clearly indicates that there are opportunities for further improvement."
Short of keeping homes nicotine-free, the researchers advise that people who live or spend time with children should store any nicotine products in a locked container, or at the very least, far out of sight and out of reach.
They also recommend using them out of children's sight, especially if they look like treats as colorful vapes, mint tin-like pouch containers, and nicotine chewing gum often do.
"Characteristics of these products, such as size, appearance, smell, flavor, and packaging, may increase their attractiveness and likelihood of ingestion by a young child," the authors write.
"Flavor options have proliferated, and many oral nicotine products resemble common food items, allowing them to be easily mistaken for food or candy by young children."
Smith suggests tighter restrictions on flavors, branding and packaging could make nicotine products less appealing to children.
"Banning flavors in all nicotine products helps reduce unintentional ingestions by young children as well as discourage use among teens," he says.
The research was published in Pediatrics.
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Nicotine pouches present a heightened danger to children, according to a recent study from the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH) in Columbus, Ohio. The pouches contain a dissolving powder made of nicotine and flavorings that gets absorbed through the gums and lining of the mouth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The research, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that there were 134,663 reported cases of ingestion of pouches, vapes and other nicotine products among children between 2010 and 2023. Researchers analyzed calls to the National Poison Data System related to accidental nicotine ingestions among children younger than 6 years old. Ingestion of the pouches soared by 763% from 2020 to 2023, as they were up to twice as likely to result in serious medical outcomes than other nicotine products, such as gum/lozenges, liquids, powder/granules and tablets/capsules/caplets. Gary Smith, M.D., director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at NCH, told Fox News Digital that nicotine pouches were not tracked in national poison center data until 2020. "However, between 2020 and 2023 (the most recent year of data from the study), the rate of unintentional ingestion of nicotine pouches by young children increased at a fast rate — even as ingestion rates for other formulations of nicotine declined," he said. The study found a 59% increase in nicotine ingestions between 2010 and 2015, which was primarily driven by liquid and solid nicotine products. From 2015 to 2023, liquid nicotine ingestion dropped by 45%, leading to a 34% reduction in overall nicotine ingestion incidents. The study had several limitations, Smith shared, one being that the National Poison Data System is a "passive surveillance system and therefore underestimates the true number of nicotine ingestions among U.S. children younger than 6 years old." "Because data are self-reported, they cannot be completely verified by poison centers," he added. Smith also pointed out that the study did not analyze nicotine dosage, and that there is the possibility of "miscategorization of data and missing data." Smith noted that the overall decline in nicotine ingestion could be linked to the passage of federal and state legislation. In 2015, Congress passed the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act, which made it a law for liquid nicotine packaging to be child-resistant. "This suggests that legislation can make a difference," Smith said. There are opportunities for further improvement in terms of passing preventative laws, the researcher noted. "Many nicotine products are flavored and sold in colorful packaging that may be attractive to a young child," he cautioned. "Banning flavors in all nicotine products would help reduce unintentional ingestions by young children as well as discourage use among teens." Given that nicotine pouches present a "serious and growing toxic ingestion hazard" among young children, Smith calls for ongoing surveillance and prevention efforts. "Many nicotine products are flavored and sold in colorful packaging that may be attractive to a young child." The effects of nicotine toxicity include nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, fast heart rate, seizures, trouble breathing, coma and death, he told Fox News Digital. For more Health articles, visit Parents who suspect that a child has ingested a nicotine pouch should call the national Poison Help number at 1-800-222-1222, Smith advised. "The safest choice is to keep all nicotine products out of the home," he said. Otherwise, they should be stored safely and out of reach.
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Nicotine Pouches Poisoning Children at an Alarming Rate in The US
The number of young children in the US reportedly poisoned by eating nicotine pouches surged between 2020 and 2023, according to a recent investigation on nicotine poisoning by pediatricians from the US Nationwide Children's Hospital. The pouches, also known as 'white snus', usually contain nicotine powder with added sweeteners and flavors. They are designed to be tucked between the lip and gum so that the drug is gradually released into the user's bloodstream. US poison centers only began tracking nicotine pouch ingestion as a specific source of poisoning in 2020. Yet in the following three years the rate of reported cases of children younger than 6 eating nicotine pouches increased by 763 percent. This massive rise is especially concerning given that white snus was 1.5 times more likely to result in serious medical outcomes, and twice as likely to result in a hospital admission, than ingestion of other nicotine products such as gum or liquid nicotine for electronic vaporizers, known as e-liquids. Related: "Nicotine pouches are a serious and growing toxic ingestion hazard among young children," says medical director of the Central Ohio Poison Center Hannah Hays, who worked on the study. "The rapid increase in the number and comparative severity of nicotine pouch ingestions is a reminder of the public health challenges of the changing nicotine product market. This is why we need to continue ongoing surveillance and increase our efforts to prevent nicotine ingestions among young children." The study encompassed 134,663 cases of any kind of nicotine ingestion among young children reported to US poison centers between 2010 and 2023. Most of these ingestions occurred at home among children younger than 2 years. It also revealed the serious risks e-liquids pose to young children, with a similar proportion of serious medical outcomes as the nicotine pouches. The study details the tragic deaths of two young boys – 12 months and 17 months old – who, in separate instances, died after ingesting nicotine liquids designed for use in vapes. Thankfully, the study also revealed that since legislation introduced in 2015, nicotine ingestion rates among young children have decreased overall. "This abrupt change in the rate trend for liquid nicotine ingestions corresponded with the passage of both state and federal legislation, including the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2015, which required child-resistant packaging of liquid nicotine," says pediatrician Gary Smith from Nationwide Children's Hospital. "This suggests that legislation can make a difference. However, despite this improvement, the ingestion rate for liquid nicotine remained higher than the rates for any other nicotine product, which clearly indicates that there are opportunities for further improvement." Short of keeping homes nicotine-free, the researchers advise that people who live or spend time with children should store any nicotine products in a locked container, or at the very least, far out of sight and out of reach. They also recommend using them out of children's sight, especially if they look like treats as colorful vapes, mint tin-like pouch containers, and nicotine chewing gum often do. "Characteristics of these products, such as size, appearance, smell, flavor, and packaging, may increase their attractiveness and likelihood of ingestion by a young child," the authors write. "Flavor options have proliferated, and many oral nicotine products resemble common food items, allowing them to be easily mistaken for food or candy by young children." Smith suggests tighter restrictions on flavors, branding and packaging could make nicotine products less appealing to children. "Banning flavors in all nicotine products helps reduce unintentional ingestions by young children as well as discourage use among teens," he says. The research was published in Pediatrics. Study Reveals How Long We Need to Walk to Prevent Chronic Back Pain This Is What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Drinking Alcohol Mysterious New Structure Discovered Hiding Inside Human Cells
