NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nicotine pouch use has skyrocketed in recent years. The CDC reports sales for pouches jumped by about 500% from 2019 to 2022.
While the product can be a better option for smokers, the pouch can pose a serious concern — especially as it gets into the hands of teens and children.
"I worry about people who, again, otherwise wouldn't use tobacco products," said Clayton Korson, an addiction medicine specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Korson said more and more young people, without an addiction, are picking up the bad habit.
A team at the Keck School of Medicine of USC reported that teens' usage of the pouches doubled from 2023 to 2024, although the study may have limitations.
The FDA shows an increase from 1.5% to 1.8% in teen usage over those years, noting it was not a statistically significant change.
"We don't really know how this is going to impact brain health, heart health. You know it is a chemical substance, it is addictive," Korson went on.
He said what may be more of a concern than pouches in the hands of teens is pouches in the hands of toddlers.
The American Academy of Pediatrics reported the rate of nicotine pouch ingestions in kids younger than six jumped almost 800% from 2020 to 2023.
While it's a small percentage of the overall nicotine ingestion cases dating back to 2010, it's a notable recent jump.
"They're flavored, again they look kind of like gum or little tablets, they can ingest more than what is safe basically, and end up in the ER, and obviously that's pretty concerning," said Korson.
He said the product is relatively new, so we still don't know the extent of its health risks. However, we do know that what could be safe for an adult can be dangerous for children.
While Korson has concerns for cases involving young people, the pouches can still be a step in the right direction for smokers looking for a lifestyle change.
"This is generally safer than other tobacco products, right. I mean, there's less...chemicals, and there's less things that are toxic and harmful in the acute ingestion phase and also over a long period of time, but it's not harmless," he explained.
Overall, he wants you to be fully informed about the potential risks before you buy.
"If you are not already using a tobacco product, I would not recommend starting, including oral nicotine pouches, because, again, I just think generally speaking it's probably not a good thing overall," concluded Korson.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nikki.hauser@newschannel5.com.
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