Children Nicotine Pouch Ingestion Reports Have Increased by More Than 760%: Study

Most cases involved children under 2 and occurred at home, with those who ingested nicotine pouches facing a 53% higher risk of serious harm.

Amid a growing number of Zyn nicotine pouch addiction lawsuits, new concerns are being raised about the serious health risks these products pose when accidentally ingested by young children.

A study published on July 14 in the journal Pediatrics found that nicotine pouch ingestions among children rose by more than 700% between 2020 and 2023, and were more likely to result in serious medical outcomes than exposures to other nicotine products.

Nicotine pouches are smokeless, tobacco-free products placed between the upper lip and gum, allowing nicotine to absorb through the mouth lining and enter the bloodstream. While they contain no tobacco leaves, the pouches combine nicotine with other ingredients to provide a discreet delivery method.

Over the past few years, brands like Zyn and on! have surged in popularity among teens and young adults, raising concerns about addiction risks and youth-targeted marketing. As scrutiny grows, manufacturers are now facing nicotine pouch addiction lawsuits, alleging they falsely promoted the products as cessation tools while actually fueling youth nicotine addiction.

For the new study, a team of researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, reviewed cases of unintentional, single-substance nicotine ingestions in children under 6, using National Poison Data System reports from 2010 to 2023.

The researchers, led by Madelyn Olivas, MHA, BS, identified 134,663 cases of nicotine ingestion among the sample population, finding that nicotine pouch exposures rose by 763.1% from 2020 to 2023.

In addition, the study showed that children who ingested nicotine pouches were 53% more likely to experience serious medical effects and more than twice as likely to require hospital admission compared to those exposed to other forms of nicotine.

“The emergence and comparative severity of nicotine pouch ingestions is a reminder of the public health challenges of the evolving oral nicotine product market.”

-Madelyn Olivas, MHA, BS, Nicotine Ingestions Among Young Children: 2010–2023

The researchers also found that 76.2% of all reported ingestions involved children under age 2, with most incidents occurring at home (98.5%) and involving boys (55.5%).

In addition to the rising dangers of nicotine pouch ingestion, researchers warn that the popularity of e-cigarettes has also contributed to a growing number of child poisoning incidents in recent years.

The study also found that liquid nicotine exposures, often tied to e-cigarette use, increased by 450% from 2010 to 2015, then fell by 45.2% through 2023. Although most cases resulted in either no effect or only minor symptoms, 39 were classified as major medical events and two resulted in death. Roughly 81% of affected children did not require treatment at a medical facility, while only 0.5% were hospitalized.

The team emphasized that these findings, especially those regarding nicotine pouches, highlight the importance of continued monitoring and stronger prevention strategies to reduce nicotine ingestion incidents in young children.

Sign up to receive more health and legal news that may affect you or your family.