Nicotine pouches gaining popularity with teens despite being illegal in Australia

Following a government crackdown on e-cigarettes, a new nicotine product is gaining popularity among teenagers, and experts say it's more difficult to detect. Nicotine pouches, also known as Zyn, "snus," or "ziz," are becoming increasingly popular among young people. A recent study from the University of Melbourne has revealed that many young people have already used these products.

This isn't surprising considering teenagers interviewed by the ABC have said they are easy to obtain despite restrictions on their purchase and sale. The study, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, surveyed nearly 1,600 teenagers and young adults aged 16 to 39. University of Melbourne Associate Professor Michelle Jongenelis, a co-author of the report, found that about a quarter of teenagers and young adults had used nicotine pouches, with 77% aware of the products. Furthermore, about one-fifth had used them in the 30 days prior to the survey.

In Australia, it is illegal to purchase or sell nicotine pouches, yet a third of those surveyed said they had bought them from tobacconists. "Nicotine pouches are discreet and come in a variety of flavours, factors that make them appealing to young Australians. Very similar to e-cigarettes, they are being sold illegally in tobacconists," Dr. Jongenelis said. "The concerning thing is that these addictive products are getting into the hands of teenagers."

So how are teenagers getting their hands on these products? Most of the young people interviewed said the products were very easy to obtain. "If you can use a mobile device, and you've got a bank account linked to it, or you've got siblings or cousins, it's so easy," said 18-year-old Carlos. 18-year-old Carmine said the pouches were easily available online. "It's illegal to sell them in Australia, but it's actually really easy to get them imported into Australia," he said, "like buying from a website."

Others like 19-year-old Charlize said they can be bought locally in Australia. "All my friends are using it instead of vaping, instead of smoking," she said, "Honestly, you can go into any vape shop ... just ask for some 'ziz' [nicotine pouches], and they'll give it to you." Dr. Jongenelis believes social media influencers and a cheaper product designed to appeal to young people make them attractive to teenagers. Recent law changes regarding access to e-cigarettes, also known as vapes, have also made nicotine pouches more popular.

From October, only pharmacies can sell e-cigarettes to people 18 and over, although a prescription is not required. "Especially teenagers are telling us that due to the new laws, the price of e-cigarettes has gone up," Dr. Jongenelis said. "So they're looking for something to replace it, either to help them with their nicotine cravings if they're addicted to e-cigarettes, or just because they want to. So nicotine pouches appear to be filling that void." Dr. Jongenelis said this is the nicotine industry finding ways to circumvent the law. "The industry sees ... that the sale of its products is being restricted in some way," she said. "It doesn't stop there. It pivots and says, 'What else can we do to get around these laws and exploit these loopholes?' So they've quietly moved to ... nicotine pouches."

Carmine and Nick, also 18, agreed. "It's hard to get those vapes now ... so you go to the next easiest thing, which is nicotine pouches," Carmine said. 16-year-old Ella said she saw the product on TikTok. "I saw those Stanley videos. Like, 'pack my Stanley [cup], and they put Zyns in it'," she said. In addition to insidious marketing, misconceptions about the benefits of nicotine pouches are also making the situation worse. Dr. Jongenelis said that while some social media influencers are paid to promote nicotine pouches, others use it to quit vaping. However, she said there is not much information about the long-term effects of these pouches.

Australian Medical Association president and GP Dr. Danielle McMullen said nicotine pouches are not designed to help people quit smoking. "We use ... something called nicotine replacement therapy, and you might see things like Nicorette or other brands that have small amounts of nicotine in them at the supermarket to help people quit smoking," she said. "This is very different to these nicotine pouches that have very high doses of nicotine, and they're not actually designed to help you quit because they have flavours that you actually want to keep trying."

Dr. McMullen said nicotine is particularly harmful to developing brains. "Your brain is mapping out how the world works," Dr. McMullen said. "So any drug, chemical or other interference with that process can damage how those connections are formed and create learning or mental health issues in the future, as well as instability of the brain." She said it can also exacerbate anxiety. "Nicotine ... through its effect on the heart and blood pressure ... often causes anxiety," Dr. McMullen said. "We know that young people are under a lot of stress in their lives at the moment, and we're seeing increasing rates of anxiety, depression and mental illness."

"You might even see that you or your friends get 'nic sick' after using them," Dr. McMullen said. "It increases your heart rate, so it's bad for your heart. You feel nauseous, dizzy, and it's a very unpleasant experience." This is also something young people who have used it are realizing. "It actually made me feel very uncomfortable, very unwell," Charlize said. "I genuinely felt like I was going to pass out when I took it." Carlos was also aware of the feeling. "I know that it makes you, I wouldn't say, depressed ... it makes you lazy, lethargic," he said.

Dr. McMullen hopes to educate people that it is illegal to buy nicotine products online. "We need to get the message out that even though it might seem easy to buy online, it's actually not legal to do that," she said. "These products should and can be seized at the border." Dr. Jongenelis wants to see more measures to stop those illegally selling the products in Australia. "We don't actually need to change the laws around them because it's already illegal. What we need to do is better enforce the laws," she said. "We need to be fining or shutting down retailers who are illegally selling these products."