Sharp Rise in Young Children Ingesting Nicotine Pouches, Study Finds

Nicotine pouches, which are often marketed in appealing flavors and lack adequate child-resistant packaging, present an enticing risk for young children . The attractive nature of these products inadvertently increases the likelihood of accidental ingestion.

From 2010 through 2023, U.S. poison centers reported 134,663 cases of nicotine poisonings among kids under age 6, according to a study published Monday in Pediatrics, a journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The cases included exposures to nicotine pouches, chewing tobacco, regular cigarettes, vapes and nicotine replacement products like gum and lozenges.

Zyn, that are behind the most significant rise in accidental nicotine poisonings among young kids.

Nicotine pouches were also more likely to be associated with serious medical outcomes or hospital admissions than other nicotine products like gum/lozenges, e-liquids, powder/granules, and tablets/capsules/caplets.

Nicotine pouches, which contain nicotine powder and are placed in the mouth, 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.

Nicotine pouches are a serious and growing toxic ingestion hazard among young children," said Hannah Hays, MD, co-author of the study and medical director of the Central Ohio Poison Center.

The study points to another policy change that could help further reduce accidental poisonings — a federal ban on all flavored nicotine products. Right now, Zyn is available in 10 flavors in the U.S., including citrus and cinnamon. Lucy pouches, founded by the team behind Silicon Valley’s favorite meal replacement drink, Soylent, come in mango and apple ice, while its sub-brand Breaker (“for the Montauk season”) has additional flavors like Berry Citrus. (Also housed under Lucy is the Excel nicotine pouch, which comes in mint for the rise-and-grind “productivity pioneer.”) On!, owned by tobacco giant Altria, has kid-friendly flavors like berry and citrus, too.Rine recommends that parents avoid using nicotine pouches in front of children to keep them from imitating potentially risky adult behaviors. She also suggests keeping nicotine products physically out of kids’ reach and to have conversations with other caretakers, like babysitters and extended family, about doing the same.

Furthermore, nicotine pouches have been found to be significantly more likely to result in serious medical outcomes compared to traditional nicotine products . Reports indicate that these pouches are associated with severe health consequences such as seizures and respiratory failure. The findings emphasize the necessity for ongoing surveillance and regulatory measures aimed at curbing access to these dangerous items among vulnerable populations .

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Sara H

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