The new government must urgently act to halt the worrying use of nicotine pouches by secondary school students, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore.
“It has been reported today that an increasing number of schools have been sending notices to parents to highlight the ongoing use of these products in classrooms. This follows calls from the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals for the HSE to issue a health advisory notice on nicotine pouches.
“Apart from the health implications of these pouches, there is now growing concern that nicotine dependency is causing some students to become irritable at school.
“These pouches come in the form of small bags and contain highly addictive nicotine, among other ingredients. The product is placed under the user’s lip and up against the gum, making it very difficult for teachers to detect.
“While these pouches are cynically branded as a safer alternative to smoking, in reality they should be viewed as a gateway to lifelong nicotine dependency.
“In recent years we have seen welcome restrictions on the sale of vaping products and e-cigarettes to under-18s, as well as legislation to ban disposable vapes and increase the minimum legal smoking age to 21.
“Yet, bizarrely, the outgoing Minister for Health failed to regulate the sale of nicotine pouches in tandem with these other measures.
“The new government must not be so complacent about this growing threat to the health and wellbeing of our young people. I will continue to raise this important public health issue with the incoming minister to ensure that school principals’ concerns are listened to and acted upon.”
January 20, 2025