Extra-strong Nicotine Pouches Packaged Like Children's Sweets

Extra-strong nicotine products designed to entreaty to children – including immoderate which person ripped disconnected nan logos of celebrated saccharine brands – are being openly sold successful shops, BBC Scotland has found.

A Disclosure reporter, filming undercover, bought nicotine pouches which mimic nan sanction and branding of nan well-known 'Millions' sweets successful a shop successful nan eastbound extremity of Glasgow.

The shop worker who sold nan pouches claimed they contained 100mg of nicotine, which would make them astir 10 times nan spot of a cigarette.

Tests later showed a little level of 17mg, which would still beryllium defined arsenic other beardown by astir morganatic manufacturers.

Trading Standards said they were concerned astir products pinch a "worrying kid appeal" arsenic good arsenic flavours and "eye-catching packaging" that mimicked sweets.

However, location is nary rule restricting nan property of waste for nicotine pouches, truthful immoderate kid tin legally participate a shop and bargain nan addictive products.

The pouches are small, pillow-like sachets that incorporate nicotine - a chemic recovered successful baccy which acts arsenic a stimulant.

There are nary restrictions connected nan spot of nan nicotine successful nan pouches.

They are placed nether nan apical lip, against nan gum and present a nicotine deed which tin beryllium stronger than cigarettes aliases vapes.

The pouches are importantly little harmful than cigarettes, and because chemicals do not participate nan lungs, they whitethorn transportation less risks than vapes.

Some group usage them arsenic a measurement to discontinue smoking, though they are not recommended by nan NHS.

Kate Pike, from nan Chartered Institute of Trading Standards, said it was "outrageous" that products were mimicking celebrated saccharine brands successful a bid to target children.

For nan BBC Disclosure documentary Nicotine Pouches: What's nan Problem?, a newsman was secretly filmed buying a tub of orange-flavoured Millions pouches for £7.50.

The shop worker who sold nan merchandise told her: "They're special."

The merchandise did not person each of nan required hazard warnings, nor did it person traceable shaper details.

The creation connected nan tub featured photos of nan Millions sweets, made by Scottish confectionery shaper Golden Casket Ltd.

They told nan BBC they had nary relationship to nicotine pouches and were "appalled" their branding was being utilized successful this way.

Another marque called 'Candys', pinch pictures of Gummy Bears, was besides for sale.

The makers of nan Candys marque did not respond.

Ms Pike told nan BBC: "Millions sweets are intelligibly a merchandise for children and location is nary logic to nexus them pinch nicotine pouches unless you want to pull children.

"If this was alcohol, location would beryllium an outcry. A kid coming crossed that would deliberation it's for them and nicotine is simply a highly addictive substance.

"Retailers should beryllium much responsible for what they are offering successful their communities."

Prof Crawford Moodie, of nan University of Stirling, has been researching nan trading of baccy and nicotine products for years.

He said: "It makes you mobility what these companies are trying to do. I mean, clearly, they don't person consent to do that.

"But nan truth that companies are putting these connected nan marketplace and retailers are rather happy to waste them shows that we are not successful a bully spot pinch respect to controlling nan nicotine pouch marketplace and protecting young group successful particular.

"There's very small successful nan packaging to show you that they're not sweets and nan imaginable for maltreatment and detrimental effects for young group are intelligibly there."

When contacted by nan BBC, nan retailer said it had now taken nan Millions merchandise disconnected its shelves.

The Disclosure programme said to young group who said they had utilized pouches.

Alex started taking them 2 years agone erstwhile he was 15 successful schoolhouse and became addicted.

He said he had ne'er tried smoking aliases vaping before.

It was nan packaging, really nan different flavours were advertised and seeing his friends return nan pouches, that made him want to effort them himself.

He said: "I deliberation it was conscionable thing different.

"It went from 1 a time to 3 a time to - astatine my highest - I was utilizing astir apt 15 a day.

"If I didn't return them, I'd conscionable get withdrawals and conscionable consciousness demotivated and for illustration I didn't want to do thing until I took different one."

Nicotine pouches are presently unregulated and tin beryllium sold legally to under-18s.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is going done nan House of Lords but location are calls for authorities to velocity up nan authorities to unopen down loopholes.

The measure will prohibition nan waste of nicotine pouches to under-18s and will restrict things for illustration wherever they tin beryllium positioned successful shops arsenic good arsenic limiting flavours, strengths, packaging and really they are advertised.

"We are receiving wide reports from crossed nan UK that these nicotine pouches are being sold to children," said Ms Pike, Trading Standards' lead serviceman for baccy and vaping.

"Parents are getting successful touch assuming we tin return action and are shocked erstwhile we show them we can't.

"At nan infinitesimal it's perfectly ineligible and there's thing we tin do."

The BBC contacted respective of nan biggest manufacturers of nicotine pouches and each of them supported forthcoming legislation.

British American Tobacco said its pouches "should ne'er beryllium utilized by those under-age", shaper Phillip Morris said nicotine pouches had proved "hugely successful" for adults to discontinue cigarettes, and Japan Tobacco International said "minors should ne'er usage aliases entree nicotine-containing products".