BBC disclosure
BBCExtra-fierce nicotine products designed to appeal to children-some of which have ripped out the popular sweet brands-are being sold openly in the shops, BBC Scotland has found.
A disclosure reporter, filming undercover, bought nicotine pouches, who mimic the name and branding of the famous ‘millions’ sweets in a shop in the eastern end of Glasgow.
The shop worker who sells the pouch claimed that he had 100mg nicotine, which would make them about 10 times the strength of cigarettes.
The test later showed a lower level of 17mg, which will still be defined as additional stronger by most valid manufacturers.
Trading standards stated that they were concerned about the “worrying child’s appeal” as well as products with flavors and “eye-catching packaging”, which mimic the dessert.
However, there is no law to ban the age of sales for nicotine pouches, so any child can legally enter a shop and buy drug addiction products.
No power restriction
Pouch is small, pillow -like pouches that contain nicotine – a chemical found in tobacco that serves as a stimulant.
There is no restriction on the strength of nicotine in the pouch.
They are placed under the top lips, distributed against glue and a nicotine hit that can be stronger than cigarettes or veps.
Pouchs are much less harmful than cigarettes, and because chemicals do not enter the lungs, they may take less risk than vapes.
Some people use them as a way to quit smoking, although they are not recommended by NHS.
Kate Pike of Chartered Institute of Trading Standards said it was “abusive” that the products were mimicking the popular sweet brands in a dialect to target children.
For BBC disclosure documentary Nicotine Pouch: What is the problem?A reporter was secretly filmed to buy a tub of millions of orange-flowers pouches for £ 7.50.
The shop worker selling the product told him: “They are special.”
The product had not warned all the necessary danger, nor did it have tracedable manufacturer details.
In the design on the tub, pictures of millions of sweets made by Scottish confectionery maker Golden Casket Limited were shown,
He told the BBC that he had no connection with Nikotine Pouch and his branding was being used in this way.
Another brand called ‘Candis’, in which pictures of Gummy bear were also for sale.
Candis brand manufacturers did not respond.
Ms. Pike told the BBC: “Millions of sweets are clearly a product for children and unless you want to attract children, there is no reason to connect them with nicotine pouches.
“If it was alcohol, there would be an outrage. A child who was about to come feels that it is for them and nicotine is a highly addictive substance.
“Retail vendors should be more responsible for what they are offering in their communities.”
Prof. Crowford Moody of Sterling University has been researching marketing of tobacco and nicotine products over years.
He said: “It questions you what these companies are trying to do. I mean, clearly, they do not have consensus to do so.
“But the fact is that companies are putting them in the market and are quite happy to sell retailers to them that we are not in a good place regarding controlling the nicotine pouch market and protecting young people, especially young people.
“To tell you is very little in packaging that they are not sweets and the possibility of misuse and harmful effects for young people is clearly.”
When contacted by the BBC, the retailer said that he has now removed millions of products from his shelves.
The disclosure program spoke to young people, who said that they used the pouch.
Alex started taking him two years ago when he was 15 years old in school and became accustomed.
He said that he had never tried to smoke or wear before.
It was packaging how different tastes were advertised and seeing their friends pouches, from which he wanted to try them himself.
He said: “I think it was just different.
“It went a day a day in a day – at my highest – I was probably using probably 15 in a day.
“If I don’t take them, I would just get a clearance and just felt dear and as I didn’t want to do anything until I take another.”
Nicotine pouches are currently irregular and can be legally sold for under -18.
Tobacco and Veps Bill is going through the House of Lords, but the government has calls to intensify the law to shut down the lofwle.
Bill will ban the sale of nicotine pouches for Under -18 and ban things where they can be deployed in shops and can also limit taste, strength, packaging and how they are advertised.
“We are receiving extensive reports from the entire UK that these nicotine pouches are being sold to children,” Ms. Pike said, Chief Officer of Trading Standards for Tobacco and Waping.
“Parents are assuming that we can take action and be surprised when we can tell them.
“At the moment it is completely legal and there is nothing that we can do.”
The BBC contacted many of the largest manufacturers of Nicotine Pouch and all supported the upcoming law.
British American tobacco stated that its pouches “should never be used by those under-age”, producer Philip Morris said that Nicotine Pouch proved “extremely successful” for adults to quit cigarettes, and Japan Tobacco International said “minorities should never use or access nicotin-rich products”.
