Youth under the age of 18 have more information about nicotine pouches, showing new data.

According to a survey commissioned by Charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the percentage of children aged 11–17 who said that they knew that Pouch had increased from 38% to 43% this year in 2024.

The survey indicates that about 4% of children in this age group have tried a nicotine bag, which is equivalent to 210,000 young people.

Ash is calling the government to prioritize the passage of tobacco and VEPS bills, which will ban the marketing of nicotine pouches and their sale under 18.

The Department of Health and Social Care said the bill “would prevent the next generation from being tilted on nicotine”.

The bill is making its way through Parliament and is currently at the House of Lords.

Ash’s CEO Hazel Chasmann said: “Currently there is no date for the next phase of law and therefore a 9 -year -old will be illegal to sell a nicotine bag, there is no clear time limit for this.

“The government should give priority to this bill.”

Nicotine pouches, often sold in the compartment, have small tea-bags that contain white powder that leaves the nicotine in the bloodstream when a person is placed between the upper lip and glue. They do not contain tobacco.

They are less harmful than smoking and some people use them as a way to quit smoking, although they are not recommended by NHS.

Ash has warned that the lack of boundaries on the strength of nicotine is placed in pouches, as well as the absence of age sanctions on their sales, makes them a high -drug addiction nicotine product that anyone can buy, including children.

Jasmine Primroz, a teacher at a high school in North London, launched a 17 -year -old disciple for maximum regulation of Nicotine Pouch after offering a 17 -year -old disciple at a corner shop.

He said, “They are really giving children an addiction to nicotine for free and I think it is terrible. I think it should definitely have a age limit on it,” he told the BBC.

He said that when Veps were still big criminals in schools, he seized several nicotine pouches from students.

“Many parents do not know about this issue, parents do not even know that this is happening most of the time,” she said.

Ash’s survey of 13,000 adults and 2,700 11 to 17 years old was surveyed by YouGov.

It suggests that the number of adults between 18 and 34 has increased by using pouches since 2023 – although the overall percentage of the population using them is small.

The survey indicates that 2.6% of children aged 18–34 using pouches in 2025, above 1.2% in 2023.

It also suggests that nicotine pouches are a strong penis division among users, with men who are likely to use pouches compared to women aged 40 three times older.

A 24 -year -old man who has recently abandoned using Nicotine Pouch is Kofi Berson.

He said, “I have done them every single day in every social situation, while driving, at work … You could not do them anywhere and no one will know, and this is one … it is one of its most drug addiction aspects”, he told the BBC.

Ash’s CEO, Ms. Chasman, said, “In the last two years, an increase in teenage awareness and increasing levels of use in young adults indicates that industry’s marketing strategies are working.

“Products are highly promoted in shops and on social media with football stars and male influential people used their profiles,” he said.

A department of a spokesperson of health and social care said that the proposed tobacco and Vapes bill would prevent nicotine products from advertising.

“Bill will place nicotine pouches under advertising sanctions of tobacco and provide powers to regulate their nicotine boundary, flavor, packaging and how they are displayed.”

But Chartered Trading Standards Institute, a professional association that represents trading standard professionals, said that children can be greatly reduced to prevent sales of nicotine pouches until the law changes.

“I hear from teams of business standards across the country, receiving reports from the concerned citizens who have seen teenagers selling these products,” said tobacco and Veps Katie Katie Pike.

“However, there is no action until we are replaced by the law because no crime is being committed.”

Additional reporting by Chris Bramwell.

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