The big tobacco companies do not rest in their idea of making fortunes at the expense of the population's health, especially of the youngest.
Their stubbornness to earn money without scruples has led them to be addicted to creating addictions, trying to whitewash, through marketing, increasingly harmful products and, of course, focused on the youngest audience, easier to convince and with more years ahead hooked on their harmful products.
They did it with tobacco, convincing us that it was provocative or rebellious, and with vapes, proposing flavors and arguing that they were not cigarettes. Now nicotine pouches appear, also known as “nicotine pouches”, which emerge as an apparently modern, clean, and less harmful alternative than their predecessors.
It is social and scientific evidence that nicotine is a highly addictive substance, regardless of how it is presented, because that's where the business is. Although these pouches do not contain tobacco itself, they release nicotine directly into the body through the oral mucosa. This detail is not minor: repeated consumption can generate dependence in a very short time, especially in young brains, more vulnerable to the effects of psychoactive substances.
It has direct effects on the cardiovascular system. It can increase heart rate, blood pressure, and generate stress in the body. In the long term, these effects can contribute to the development of heart diseases. In young people, whose body is in the process of development, the alterations are aggravated.
The impact on brain development is important. Various studies have shown that nicotine can affect areas of the brain related to attention, learning, impulse control, and emotional regulation. During adolescence, the brain goes through a critical stage of reorganization and growth; introducing nicotine into this process can alter neural connections and condition cognitive and behavioral development. This can translate into academic difficulties, greater impulsivity, or even a greater predisposition to anxiety and depression disorders. That is why the sale of these products becomes especially serious when they are aimed at consumption by young people, as is the case at hand.
These scientific data make the marketing of these products must be subjected to a strong criticism. Sweet or fruity flavors, minimalist design and promotion on social networks contribute to normalizing their use among young people, including minors. It is presented as something “cool”, "ecological” and socially acceptable, which reduces the perception of risk and causes “Hype” for new flavors or presentations. The strategy is a copy of the tactics used for decades by the tobacco industry to attract new consumers, repeating itself over and over again in all the products they launch, following the premise: what works is not changed.
The speed with which these products are generated makes the information about their dangers arrive late, and not be clear about their medium and long-term effects, which are unpredictable in their immensity until some years have passed.
Nicotine pouches already represent an emerging challenge for public health. Their innocuous appearance and easy access are a real risk of addiction, cardiovascular damage and alterations in brain development. It is fundamental to promote education, regulation, and awareness, to prevent a new generation from falling into the trap of nicotine dependence under a deceptive appearance of modernity, safety, and, curiously, health.
