Nicotine addiction has been plaguing young adults and teenagers since the late 19th century, ever evolving and finding new ways to sink its teeth into youngsters all around the world. There is a great amount of evidence to show that nicotine is harmful; however, big tobacco companies keep finding new ways to silence these concerns.
Big Tobacco has been known to create new products to keep up with the newer generations, ensuring a steady stream of income from victims of addiction. The newest product, which has been taking the teenage community by storm, is called snus.
Snus, or nicopods, are pouches packed with nicotine, sweeteners, and other chemicals that are inserted into the upper lip, allowing for a discreet, fast-acting, and long lasting way of taking the drug, for instance, during classes. They are being advertised as a healthier alternative to smoking, vaping, or chewing tobacco due to the absence of the actual tobacco leaf inside the pouches, instead relying on synthetic nicotine. However, they are not FDA approved as a valid method to help quit smoking, and many companies, especially in Europe, use the fact that there has not been much research done on them to hook unsuspecting teenagers into a costly and damaging addiction. These pouches range from relatively low doses of nicotine (2mg/pouch), which could possibly be beneficial to smokers looking for a way out, to extremely high doses (35mg/pouch is the highest that is sold, according to SnusDirect.eu) which no other method of taking the drug can even come close to. Because of this hierarchy that has been set up, many teenagers start out at the lower doses and, due to nicotine tolerance or addiction, move up to higher and higher doses, until they are taking the most dangerous and strong pouches.
I anonymously interviewed a few people I knew who were frequent users of nicotine pouches. Many stated that they were unaware that these products were harmful and capable of causing permanent damage. This shows the predatory behavior of the tobacco industry, in which they sell harmful products to children, frequently without even asking for identification, and without informing them of the risks that they are taking by consuming their products, all in the pursuit of money. The damage that nicopods can cause to your body involves nicotine addiction and dependency, gum infection, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, increased risk of cancer of the throat, mouth, and pancreas, tooth loss, and potentially permanent gum recession.
Furthermore, users and vendors of nicopods have been glorifying their usage on social media, such as TikTok. On numerous occasions, I have seen people describe the product as a “normal” thing to integrate into your life and even potentially beneficial, as they emphasize and exaggerate how good it makes you feel, in hopes that they get more sales. In addition, there is a toxic environment on these social media platforms, in which if you take lower dosages, you are pressured into moving up the ladder to the stronger pouches, as you are seen as weaker or inferior by other users of the product.
Overall, nicotine addiction has been a massive issue throughout human history, and we need to take action against it. The European Union has already taken action, requiring cigarette boxes to have 65% of a cigarette box covered by graphic imagery pertaining to smoking (European Union Product Regulation), information about how addictive nicotine is, and on how to quit. However, none of these restrictions apply to these pouches, and they are able to advertise with vibrant colors and strong, pleasurable flavors. The European Union needs to take action soon, so humanity can leave nicotine in the past.
Source Citations:
“Nicotine Product Regulation.” Public Health, European Union, health.ec.europa.eu/tobacco/product-regulation_en. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.
“Nicotine Pouches: Use, Benefits, and Risks.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/nicotine-pouches. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.