‘Deeply concerned’: Schools issue warning amid new nicotine trend

A dangerous product that has been popular in Scandinavian countries for decades, however, are now making a splash in Australia.

A new nicotine trend linked to oral and throat cancer has put schools on high alert as shipments of the “new vaping” method continues to flood Australian shores.

Nicotine pouches – also known as snuff or snus – have been popular in Scandinavian countries for decades, however, are now making a splash in Australia.

The pouches, which are small sachets, are placed between the cheek and upper gum and contain synthetic nicotine.

Snuff has been a way of taking nicotine for centuries — with the indigenous populations of Brazil using ground tobacco hundreds of years ago. However, the product has never taken off in Australia.

The federal government says they aware of the trend and admit further reforms may need to be considered to combat the influx of imports.

Nicotine pouches being sold at a tobacco store in Cronulla. Picture: Facebook

Health Minister Mark Butler saying he was “deeply concerned” about the rising use of nicotine pouches.

“Oral tobacco, otherwise known as snus, has been banned from sale in Australia since June 1991,” Mr Butler said.

“We condemn the widespread marketing and use of nicotine, especially marketing targeted at our children.”

Despite being illegal to sell and buy in Australia, black market merchants are taking advantage of the government’s vaping ban which was introduced on January 1.

The law banned the importation of non-nicotine disposable vapes, with all other vape devices, such as reusable vapes to be banned from March 1.

Nicotine vapes have always been illegal to sell in Australia. However, they are regularly illegally sold by convenience stores, tobacconists and online retailers.

Experts fear the products will turn into “the new vaping”. Picture: Facebook

Legalise Vaping Australia boss Brian Marlow said these same stores are now starting to sell nicotine pouches to “make more money”.

“These nicotine pouches are being sold by the same guys that are importing dodgy disposables and trying to sell them through their crime syndicates and to their target kids,” he said.

“They’ve realised that, hey, if a kid doesn’t want to buy a dodgy disposable, maybe they want to buy a nicotine pouch.”

Between January 29 and February 2, NSW Health seized 284 containers of the product across 60 Sydney retailers.

The trend has seen a massive boom in Australian Instagram and Tiktok accounts selling the products online, which are packaged into brightly coloured and flavoured containers.

Australian comedian Fergus Neal recently posted a TikTok talking about the recent trend, with the video reaching two million views.

“It’s becoming like really big with Gen Z. It’s meant to be like 20 cigarettes at once,” he says in the video.

On some accounts, snus is also being advertised as a way to steer away from vaping and “save your lungs”. However, the pouches come with their own health concerns.

The pouches are being sold across social media. Picture: Instagram

Australian snus accounts have taken off on Instagram. Picture: Instagram

Australian Medical Association President Professor Steve Robson said the affects of nicotine pouches were relatively unknown, with reports for Scandinavia displaying links to cancer in both the mouth and throat.

“We are extremely concerned about addicting young Australias to nicotine pouches without knowing much about them,” she said.

“We’ve already had this massive battle with vaping and yet another thing comes online.”

Dr Sue-Ching Yeoh from Australia Dental Association said nicotine pouches can also cause shrinkage of the gum where the pouch is placed.

“This is a relatively new area and not a lot of research has been done yet,” she said.

The trend has seen schools on high alert, with vaping already a major challenge for teachers.

“As nicotine pouches are illegal in NSW, they are banned in our schools,” the NSW education department said in a statement to news.com.au.

“Student use of nicotine products is primarily a health issue that goes beyond the school gate, requiring collaboration between parents and schools and more education about the dangerous health impacts of these illegal products.”