Revealed: Super-strength product that left Gary Lineker in ‘absolute hell’ is now being ‘targeted at kids’ and due to escape Government crackdown_Nhy
Super-strength nicotine pouches that left Gary Lineker in ‘absolute hell’ are being marketed at British children and are currently overlooked by Government anti-smoking plans, campaigners have warned.
Tins of the pouches – individually as much as 100 times the strength of a cigarette – are being packaged in bright colours, with names including Candys Ice Cherry Gum, Trillionz cola and Rave, which features a young boy in blaring headphones on the pack.
Others picture emoji-style cartoons and characters and come in a range of fruit flavours, while others include a 50mgs Fatality Apple Bubblegum tin, with a picture of a screaming cockerel emerging from a brightly coloured-alligator’s mouth.
But while the powerful pouches contain as much as 150mg of nicotine each, a single cigarette contains just 10mg – of which only around 1.4mg is actually inhaled.
MPs now fear the pouches could replace vaping for underage users when the disposables ban comes into force in June – and due to a legal loophole, there are no age requirements for purchasing them as they do not contain tobacco.
Such is the concern, Labour MP Mary Glindon submitted a last-minute amendment last week to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, currently working its way through parliament, which will be considered shortly but is not expected to be approved.
She called for a ‘ban on the manufacture and sales of high-strength nicotine pouches’ and a maximum of 20 milligrams of nicotine per pouch, with fines and up to two years in prison if convicted.
The amendment would also make it illegal to supply high-strength pouches to others.
Tins of the pouches – individually as much as 100 times the strength of a cigarette – are being packaged in bright colours, with names including Candys Ice Cherry Gum, Trillionz cola and Rave
Campaigners say the colourful brands are designed to appeal to children and young people
Gary Lineker previously told of his seven hours of hell after trying one of the pouches ahead of the 2020 Euros
With prices as low as £4.99, the ‘hyper-strength’ pouches our investigators purchased from UK websites are significantly cheaper than many vapes and cost less than same-strength products marketed at adults.
All can be purchased without any age checks online, on sites such as Snus Town and Viking Snus, and are sold legally in high street stores across the UK.
The pouches are placed under the tongue and deliver extreme doses of nicotine into the bloodstream.
Retailers are not required to ID customers – as the pouches do not contain tobacco, they are not regulated in the UK – although some supermarkets do.
Campaigners now warn vaping restrictions that form much of the impending Tobacco and Vapes Bill, along with the disposables ban under separate legislation due to come into force in June, will prompt many people to look for alternatives.
They say easy-to-access unregulated nicotine pouches are the ‘obvious choice’ and fear children who have been lured into vaping by colourful packaging and an array of alluring flavours will look to the pouches instead.
Richard Crosby, director of consumer advocacy group Considerate Pouchers, said: ‘It is madness that super-strength nicotine pouches are not part of the Tobacco and Vapes bill.
‘Pouches are a proven, effective way to help people stop smoking and are part of the toolkit Sweden used to successfully become a smoke-free country.
Labour MP Mary Glindon has tabled an amendment to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which would see super-strength nicotine patches banned
The pouches can be purchased without any age checks online, on sites such as Snus Town and Viking Snus, and are sold legally in high street stores across the UK
The pouches are placed under the tongue and deliver extreme doses of nicotine into the bloodstream
‘But the strengths we are talking about here are ridiculous and it is clear opportunist manufacturers are now marketing these to children to get them hooked.
‘The hyper-strong products can lead to lightheadedness, nausea and vomiting . We have long wanted pouches regulated so we know exactly what is being sold and to which group.
‘Adult smokers should choose safer ways to consume nicotine, like nicotine pouches and vaping, and kids must never be targeted.
‘We hope the government sees sense, tackles the online market and regulates pouches, otherwise these will be the easiest and most obvious choice for youngsters who want to use nicotine.
‘If kids are targeted by unscrupulous marketers and government does not respond, the marketing will be effective.’
Premier League footballers have been using nicotine pouches on the pitch because they are a discreet way to consume nicotine, which has been shown in studies to boost focus and performance.
The problem became so bad the FA launched an investigation which showed roughly one in five professional footballers currently use snus, tobacco-free nicotine pouches, or both.
Gary Lineker said he was left seriously ill after trying Snus, but due to this reaction, it is believed he had used a hyper-strong nicotine pouch.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast in 2023, the ex-England captain said he had been convinced to try them ahead of the 2020 Euros, which he was attending as a broadcaster.
Describing his experience, he said: ‘I sit on the bed and I’m stark naked, and I’ve whipped this thing straight out my mouth and thrown it in the bin, thinking what the hell is this?
Campaigners say the use of bright colours, emojis and characters – as well as the wide range of flavours – are targeted marketing tools aimed at children
The tins, which contain up to 25 pouches each, are on sale for as little as £4.99
‘I start to sweat, but I’m freezing. I’m sweating and I’m sweating and there’s a pool on the floor, and I can’t move. I’m thinking what the hell have they done to me?
‘I start to feel very nauseous but I can’t stand up as I feel very dizzy. Eventually I lay on the floor and I crawl to the toilet like a snake, just sliding, that’s the only way I could get there.
‘And just before I got to the toilet, I vomit everywhere, it’s on the shower screens, it’s all over. I feel terrible, it’s horrendous.
‘Eventually the thing came to and end and I got into my bed and I thought I’ll look at the time. It was 7am in the morning. I’d had seven hours of absolute torture.’
Nicotine pouches are often referred to as Snus, after the popular Swedish product that helped the country become smoke-free. However, Swedish Snus contains tobacco, whereas nicotine pouches available in the UK do not.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill was designed to eventually create a smoke free UK.
However, critics have argued it will simply cause a rise in illegal products being bought on the black market.
Concerns have also been raised about reducing the availability of vapes to people wanting to quit smoking.
New research shows a million smokers a year in England try to quit by using methods that have little chance of success.
Almost half (49 per cent) reduced their chances by using will power and nicotine replacement therapy like gum and patches. But vapes and heated tobacco devices were found to significantly boost success rates.
Other concerns surround a surging black market that could fuel turf wars for gangs controlling the illicit vape market, as seen in Australia.
And in a further blow to cash-strapped vapers, the e-liquid tax will kick in on October 1 October next year (2026), of £2.20 per 10ml. The lowest income communities – in which smoking is most prevalent – are feared to be worst hit.
Plans to ban smoking outside pubs and hospitality venues were scrapped by the government in November following outrage from the sector. Health secretary Wes Streeting announced a crack down on smoking outside schools and hospitals instead.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is currently at report stage, before its final Commons debate. It will then progress to the House of Lords.
A spokesperson for Snus Vikings said: ‘We take responsible retailing very seriously and want to be absolutely clear that Snus Vikings. does not market or sell to children.
‘Our products are intended for adult nicotine users only, and we have multiple safeguards in place to ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards.
‘We remain committed to responsible retailing and encourage regulatory discussions to be guided by facts rather than misconceptions.’
It added that it takes measures such as pop-up age verification to avoid minors purchasing its products, and said the use of emojis and different colours are only to help adult purchasers distinguish between flavours more easily.
Snus Town has been contacted for comment.
