WASHINGTON (TNND) — Nicotine products are becoming more and more popular in the U.S., but they are also causing harm to young children, according to a new study.
The amount of kids who have gotten ill after ingesting nicotine pouches increased from 2010 to 2023, the study shows. The National Poison Data System reported 134,663 cases of nicotine poisonings among children younger than age 6 during those years.
The information was published Monday in Pediatrics, a journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
More than 76% of the cases were among children younger than age 2 years, the study noted, with 55% involving boys.
At least 98% of the cases occurred at the child’s home, according to the study.
While most of the cases did not require medical attention, serious impacts were seen in 1.2% of the ingestions, as well as two deaths.
The cases included exposures to nicotine pouches, liquid nicotine or vapes, and nicotine tablets. Nicotine pouches were responsible for a majority of the cases, according to the study.
The rate of nicotine pouch ingestions increased by 763.1% from 2020 to 2023. Nicotine pouches were more likely to be associated with a serious medical outcome,” the study noted.
Study findings, including the emergence and comparative severity of nicotine pouch ingestions, support the need for ongoing surveillance and increased efforts to prevent nicotine ingestions among young children,” according to the study.
The Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) said nicotine pouches entered the U.S. market in 2016. The pouches contain a powder made of nicotine, flavorings, and other ingredients.
The powder dissolves in the mouth, and nicotine is absorbed through the gums and lining of the mouth. Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical that is especially dangerous for youth, young adults, and pregnant women,” according to the CDC.
The CDC said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved nicotine pouches as a smoking cessation aid.