With the government cracking down on vaping, various TikTokers in Australia have begun advocating the use of nicotine pouches as a “healthier” alternative to e-cigarettes. The Devil works hard, but big nicotine works harder.
As of January 1 2024, the federal government began its massive crackdowns on the sale of vapes in Australia, starting with the ban of single-use vapes being imported into Australia. Anyone looking to purchase a vape requires a prescription, though illegal sales are still highly prevalent.
As a result of the crackdown, people desiring nicotine are starting to look for alternatives to vaping, as well as ways to quit the addiction entirely.
One of the products that is gaining traction in Australia is nicotine pouches, which are small sachets that get placed behind a user’s top lip, allowing them to absorb the nicotine through the pouch.
Though they are commonly referred to as “snus”, which is a popular tobacco pouch product in Sweden, the pouches are advertised as being nicotine free.
The pouches also come in countless different flavours, similar to vapes which is what made them attractive to younger markets. Some of the nicotine pouch flavours available on certain sites are:
- Cola cherry vanilla
- Pink rose lemonade
- Apple bubblegum
- Blackcurrant purple grape
- Energy drink.
These pouches are now growing in popularity through TikTok, where creators are sharing anecdotal evidence to imply to their followers that it helps to quit vaping.
@stefan_kohut Just my personal take not advice #snus #zyn #gym #fyp #nicotinepouche ♬ original sound – Stefan Kohut
“Are these the vape killer?” Stefan Kohut asks in the above TikTok to his 13.8K followers.
In the clip Kohut explains how to use the pouches, and says that he hasn’t vaped for “four or five weeks now” since switching to the nicotine alternative.
“I don’t know if these are better for you, but I assume they are,” Kohut said in the video, before saving his bacon by adding: “Don’t take my advice! I’m not a doctor!”
“I’m just a dumbass that goes to the gym and sleeps,” shares the 19-year-old.
Yet despite his lack professional medical opinion, he continues to repeat that when it comes to health, he assumes “they are better than vapes — I don’t know, I don’t know.”
The video has received over 11.9K likes, and is not the only one on Kohut’s page where he endorses the nicotine pouches.
Kohut’s page features a link to a site where anyone from Australia can order various flavours of the nicotine pouches to get delivered to their door — and all they need to do is say they are over 18-years-old to enter the site.
Jack, another Aussie TikToker, posted a video where he was sent a “care package of nicotine pouches” where he spruiked the product.
@jackeetswa Thanks for the care package ❤️ #snus #nicotine #peds ♬ Puff – Hany Beats
“You don’t need to rely on patches, disgusting chewing gum, or dodgy black market vapes for your nicotine hit,” Jack states.
The potential damage here is that by putting people off the idea of patches or nicotine gum that are commonly used by people trying to overcome nicotine addictions, users will be more inclined to try these seemingly tastier, “healthier” nicotine pouches.
Except they could be even worse when it comes to nicotine consumption.
After tests by the World Health Organisation, various types of nicotine pouches were found to have “exceptionally high” levels of nicotine in them, which is ultimately still far more dangerous than trying to quit nicotine products entirely.
Additionally, the chemicals inside the pouches were found to also have compounds that could be traced back to tobacco — meaning that the “tobacco free” part of the advertising comes under question.
If you are looking to learn more about vaping, you can watch PEDESTRIAN.TV’s series “Vape Nation” by Issy Phillips below.
If you are looking to quit vaping yourself, be sure to seek professional medical help.
Not the advice of some “dumbass that goes to the gym and sleeps”.
