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Nicotine pouches present a heightened danger to children, according to a recent study from the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) in Columbus, Ohio.
The pouches contain a dissolving powder made of nicotine and flavorings that gets absorbed through the gums and lining of the mouth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The research, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that there were 134,663 reported cases of ingestion of pouches, vapes and other nicotine products among children between 2010 and 2023.
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Researchers analyzed calls to the National Poison Data System related to accidental nicotine ingestions among children younger than 6 years old.
Ingestion of the pouches soared by 763% from 2020 to 2023, as they were up to twice as likely to result in serious medical outcomes than other nicotine products, such as gum/lozenges, liquids, powder/granules and tablets/capsules/caplets.
Gary Smith, M.D., director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at NCH, told Fox News Digital that nicotine pouches were not tracked in national poison center data until 2020.
“However, between 2020 and 2023 (the most recent year of data from the study), the rate of unintentional ingestion of nicotine pouches by young children increased at a fast rate — even as ingestion rates for other formulations of nicotine declined,” he said.
The study found a 59% increase in nicotine ingestions between 2010 and 2015, which was primarily driven by liquid and solid nicotine products.
From 2015 to 2023, liquid nicotine ingestion dropped by 45%, leading to a 34% reduction in overall nicotine ingestion incidents.
The study had several limitations, Smith shared, one being that the National Poison Data System is a “passive surveillance system and therefore underestimates the true number of nicotine ingestions among U.S. children younger than 6 years old.”
“Because data are self-reported, they cannot be completely verified by poison centers,” he added.
Smith also pointed out that the study did not analyze nicotine dosage, and that there is the possibility of “miscategorization of data and missing data.”
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Smith noted that the overall decline in nicotine ingestion could be linked to the passage of federal and state legislation.
In 2015, Congress passed the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act, which made it a law for liquid nicotine packaging to be child-resistant. “This suggests that legislation can make a difference,” Smith said.
There are opportunities for further improvement in terms of passing preventative laws, the researcher noted.
“Many nicotine products are flavored and sold in colorful packaging that may be attractive to a young child,” he cautioned. “Banning flavors in all nicotine products would help reduce unintentional ingestions by young children as well as discourage use among teens.”
Safety tips for parents
Given that nicotine pouches present a “serious and growing toxic ingestion hazard” among young children, Smith calls for ongoing surveillance and prevention efforts.
“Many nicotine products are flavored and sold in colorful packaging that may be attractive to a young child.”
The effects of nicotine toxicity include nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, fast heart rate, seizures, trouble breathing, coma and death, he told Fox News Digital.
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Parents who suspect that a child has ingested a nicotine pouch should call the national Poison Help number at 1-800-222-1222, Smith advised.
“The safest choice is to keep all nicotine products out of the home,” he said. Otherwise, they should be stored safely and out of reach.
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