Schools have issued a warning about highly addictive nicotine pouches being used by students.

The tiny pouches, which users tuck inside their lips to receive a nicotine hit, fall outside of existing laws on tobacco or vapes.

The pouches are based off the Scandinavian tobacco product called ‘snus.’

Principals are calling on the HSE to issue a health advisory notice around the use of these pouches.

A person pushes a nicotine pouch under their upper lip. Image: PictureDesk/Alamy Live News. Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals Paul Crone told The Pat Kenny Show that it is hard to know how widespread the practice is.

“It was very clear when students were smoking cigarettes, it became clear when they were vaping – they could be seen,” he said.

“It’s much harder to catch them [vaping], but it’s impossible to know when a student has a very small pouch tucked between their gum and their lip, to know how many students are using these products.”

Loophole in restrictions

Mr Crone said these nicotine patches are easily available to students, as they don’t fall under the same sales restrictions as actual snus packets and other products containing tobacco.

“Because there is no tobacco in the pouches, there is no legal basis for restricting their sale or use here in Ireland,” he said.

“So, these pouches are available in local shops, in garages; there’s no age restriction on them because the restrictions apply to the use and sale of tobacco, not nicotine.

“They’re sitting in a loophole space at the moment.”

Tobacco and nicotine products on display for retail sale at a drugstore. Image: Imagic Retail / Alamy. 7 May 2016

According to Mr Crone, professional athletes and influencers are introducing many young people to the product.

“Jamie Vardy came out quite strongly that he was using the other nicotine pouches, and other sports stars,” he said.

“So, students don’t see the danger in it, they don’t see that potential long-term health effects that it would have on them.

“They just feel that it helps to calm them, it gives them that, I suppose, immediate, instant hit, and they’re not aware of what the long-term implications of that would be for them.

“I presume they can persuade themselves, ‘This is not like smoking, there’s no tar in my lungs, so therefore it’s not harmful to my health’.”

Mr Crone said the Government needs to revise this loophole in order to protect our young people.

Main image: An open box of nicotine pouches. Andris Knops / Alamy. 21 February 2024