Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has said she would "absolutely" be in favour of banning nicotine pouches for under-18s. The pouches, which are the size of a stick of chewing gum and contain nicotine powder of varying doses, are consumed by being placed between the lip and the gum, which releases the nicotine. "I described those nicotine pouches back in July as particularly invidious because they represent that sort of sweet-type appearance, they can be hidden from parents," she said... [read more]

[See also, Irish Medical Times -  Music festivals partnering with pouches that ‘addict a new generation to nicotine’ - Nicotine pouches are addicting a new generation to the harmful drug, a clinical professor in public health has said, as calls mount for legislation to be introduced to combat the promotion of these dangerous products. Prof Bobby Smyth’s warning comes as this weekend’s Electric Picnic becomes the latest music event in Ireland to include a nicotine pouch manufacturer as one of its sponsors...]