In response to the ever-growing number of youngsters using nicotine pouches, a dentist has issued a vital warning.
Also known as 'snus', these popular teabag-like packages - which are usually tucked under a user's top lip and squashed against their gum - were initially seen as an alternative to smoking or vaping, boasting far fewer harms to health.
They contain nicotine extracted from tobacco leaves, sodium carbonate, flavourings, and sweeteners, with their high pH value allowing the chemicals inside the pouch to penetrate the soft lining on the gum and enter the bloodstream, providing super strong kicks.
In fact, a single 6mg pouch is said to feel equivalent to consuming 1-2 cigarettes.
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Over time, however, their usage shot up in its own right and not as a health hack, with addicts reportedly getting hooked from the very first use.
Though a recent study from University College London found that, with around 522,000 more people in the UK have begun using pouches within the last five years, it was simultaneously found that a concerning proportion of these individuals were aged between 16-24 - or 'Gen Zs'.
So much so, that new research has indicated an almost four-fold rise in use within Brits from this age group over the last two years, per the BBC.
But what exactly makes them so desirable?
Well, firstly, they come in a broad variety of exotic flavours to meet every customer's taste - as well as different strengths, to ensure users can get used to the intensity without suffering unwanted side effects.
Also considered a major selling point is their accessibility, with 'snus' on sale online and at most supermarkets and corner shops, and priced at a more than reasonable £5 for 20.
And right now, you can also be under 18 to purchase these pouches, as they have no minimum age - which is far from the case with cigarettes and vapes.
With this in mind, several health workers are using their expertise to steer children away from snus, with children as young as 11 finding themselves reliant on nicotine hits for a daily boost.
Amongst those to have spoken out is Bournemouth-based Swedish-born dentist Dr Patric Saraby, who claims to have observed countless cases of severe gum damage as a result of the placement of the pouches.
In particular, many of his patients reported gum lesions so deep that the root of each tooth was visible.
"The long-term damage of these products is extremely worrying," he told the BBC, adding that one 23-year-old student he saw - who used upwards of five pouches a day - suffered a piece of his gum breaking off.
Dr Saraby also noted the increased risk of a regular snus-user suffering the likes of gum disease and localised bone loss, having observed a 'tidal wave of nicotine pouch use' in his own home country, where original, tobacco-based snus was created.
Thankfully, the UK Government is currently in the process of passing a 'landmark' Tobacco and Vapes bill through the House of Lords, which would see the sale of nicotine pouches banned for under-18s.
The law would also prevent vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to youngsters.
A spokesperson for the government predicted: "It will stop the next generation from getting hooked on nicotine and put an end to the cycle of addiction and disadvantage."
Rhianna Benson