‘Masculine’ habit linked to health issues has nearly doubled among teens

There are health concerns for a “masculine” new trend linked to grim health issues as rates show it has nearly doubled among teens.

A worried mum is warning other parents about a “masculine” new habit on the rise with teenagers – as rates among those under 18 almost double.

Kellie Whitehead said that when her son James first showed interest in nicotine pouches after seeing them on TikTok and in the mouths of his favourite Premier League soccer players, she decided to pop one with him.

A smoker for about 30 years, the British PR consultant was floored by the side effects, the New York Post reports.

She felt nauseous and dizzy as the blood rushed to her head, her temperature soared and her heart raced.

“I’m 173 cm, and I’m a plus-size woman. What’s it going to do to a 13-year-old girl or a small-built 15-year-old boy? It was horrible,” the 47-year-old told the publication.

New data shows that the number of teenagers using nicotine pouches has almost doubled in the US. Picture: iStock

So the tin went into the bin — or so Ms Whitehead thought.

Two-weeks later, she caught James, then 17, experimenting with it again. He got sicker than before and appeared to learn his lesson.

Statistics show usage of the product has nearly doubled among high school students between 2023 and 2024 in the US, according to new research from the University of Southern California.

Under Australian law, nicotine pouches are only legal with a prescription to help quit smoking or vaping.

Unlike Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) patches, lozenges and gums, pouches aren’t evaluated or approved for quality, safety and efficacy by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

The TGA states: “There is no strong evidence to support the use of nicotine pouches for smoking or vaping cessation. Evidence shows nicotine can be harmful and may have adverse impacts on adolescent brain development.”

The governing body stressed that “no nicotine pouches have been evaluated by us for quality, safety or efficacy in Australia” but added it was “aware of the rising profile of nicotine pouches in Australia”.

Kellie Whitehead said she tried it with her son James, 17, and was floored by how strong the effect was. Picture: iStock

In Australia, the product is banned unless prescribed by a doctor to help aid quitting smoking or vaping. The illegal substance is often unlawfully sold in colourful tins. Picture: iStock

It’s this confusing messaging that has led teens to view nicotine pouches as a “safer” alternative to smoking or vaping because the product is tobacco-free, theNew York Post reports.

But the “lip pillows” – which are placed between the lip or cheek and the gums but not chewed – deliver highly addictive nicotine through the lining of the mouth.

It’s too early to know the long-term health effects, but the pouches have been found to irritate the mouth, damage gums and increase the risk of heart disease and hypertension because nicotine raises heart rate and blood pressure.

The University of Southern California (USC) researchers noted that nicotine exposure during adolescence can harm brain development, leading to difficulties with learning, memory and attention.

Furthermore, alarming research has identified hazardous substances and potential carcinogens in some nicotine pouches.

“This growing public health issue needs more attention,” said Dae-Hee Han, a USC postdoctoral scholar who authored the study. “Like flavoured e-cigarettes when they first emerged, use of this new oral nicotine product is becoming more widespread, particularly among adolescents.”

The habit, dubbed ‘masculine’ on social media, is on the rise in Australia too. Picture: iStock

The study revealed that 5.4 per cent of American teens used nicotine pouches in 2024 compared to 3 per cent in 2023.

Young male conservatives, in particular, seem drawn to the buzz which has been billed as a “masculine” habit by so-called Zyn-fluencers – a term coined by combining influencers with Zyn, the leading US brand of nicotine pouches.

The market is expected to explode in the next five years, the New York Post reported.

In June 2024, the ABC reported that 1.3 million nicotine pouches had been seized at the Australian border since January 2024 – a 950 per cent increase from the previous two years.

The highly addictive product is often unlawfully sold in colourful packaging and flavours like black cherry, lemon citrus and twin apple.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as ‘Masculine’ habit linked to health issues has nearly doubled among teens