- Retailers urged to act responsibly as CTSI warns about visibility of nicotine pouches in UK stores
- Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to make nicotine pouch sales illegal to under-18s and regulate flavours and advertising
- CTSI calls for fast-tracking of the Bill to protect young consumers
Retailers are being urged to act responsibly as the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) issued a stark warning about the growing visibility and appeal of nicotine pouches in UK stores, particularly to children.
The small, teabag-like pouches, which contain nicotine, sweeteners, and flavourings, are increasingly being displayed at checkouts in convenience stores and other outlets. Flavoured with popular options like cherry ice, mango and very berry, their packaging and taste closely mimic sweets - raising concerns over their appeal to underage consumers.
Unlike tobacco and vaping products, nicotine pouches currently fall into a regulatory grey area, with no legal age restriction on their sale. CTSI fears this gap is being exploited, as some retailers openly sell the addictive products to children.
Trading Standards teams, already working to enforce the UK ban on single-use vapes, are now coming across nicotine pouches in plain view during shop inspections. Their discreet method of use, placed under the lip, means they can be easily concealed from teachers and parents.
“It very much feels like a game of whack-a-mole - just as one product is dealt with, another emerges - the availability of potentially harmful products being promoted and sold to our children seems never ending,” Duncan Stephenson, Policy and External Affairs Director at CTSI, said.
“Nicotine pouches are the latest example, with slick marketing, sweet flavours and colourful packaging that risk appealing to young people, whether intended or not.”
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, promises to make nicotine pouch sales illegal to under-18s and regulate flavours, advertising, and in-store placement. CTSI is calling for the Bill to be fast-tracked to protect young consumers.
“Local Trading Standards teams on the ground are uncovering these risks every day, but we urgently need the powers set out in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to take urgent and effective action. Strong, proactive regulation is essential to protect children and stop these products from slipping through the cracks,” Stephenson said.
Kate Pike, CTSI Lead Officer for Tobacco and Vapes, added: “We are getting increasing reports from concerned parents and teachers that shops are marketing and selling nicotine pouches to children. It is incredibly frustrating that there is nothing we can currently do to prevent them.
“We have been asking for an age of sale on nicotine pouches for some time and were delighted when this measure was included in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. We would urge the government to ensure the bill is prioritised in the parliamentary calendar to enable it to be finalised so we can start taking action against those who either deliberately or uncaringly risk children getting hooked on a highly addictive product.”
Jamie Strachan, Operations Director at vaping retailer VPZ, said they share the concerns raised by Trading Standards.
“There is no place for underage use of any nicotine product – full stop. Nicotine pouches, when used as stop smoking tool by adult, can play a meaningful role in harm reduction. However, we are unequivocal in our belief that these products must never be accessible to children,” Strachan commented.
“The fact that nicotine pouches are not yet regulated under a defined age restriction is a concerning loophole that must be urgently closed. We strongly support the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and call on the UK government to accelerate its passage through Parliament.”