(WXYZ) — In today’s Health Alert, a new study shows a sharp rise in nicotine-related incidents involving young children. Two young toddlers died. Experts say flavored nicotine pouches may be part of the problem.
It’s really concerning. A new study found that nicotine-related calls to poison control centers jumped more than 760% from 2020 to 2023 among kids under six. That’s a huge increase. Most of the cases happened at home. A large chunk of them - about 76% - involved babies and toddlers under 2. And while the products included chewing tobacco, vapes, gums, and lozenges, the biggest spike came from nicotine pouches.
Now, these pouches are small, about the size of a piece of gum. People tuck them between their lip and gum, and the nicotine gets absorbed through the lining of the mouth. But, here’s the alarming part. Even though these nicotine pouches made up only 1.4% of nicotine ingestions, they were linked to a 150% higher risk of serious reactions and were twice as likely to send a child to the hospital.
Part of the problem is that these pouches come in a variety of tempting flavors and bright, colorful packaging. They’re also often left out where curious toddlers and young kids can find them. Unfortunately, nicotine can be very dangerous to young children.
Nicotine levels in these pouches can range from 1.5 to 12 milligrams each. But even small amounts can make a child sick, causing nausea, vomiting, or tremors. Higher doses can raise their heart rate, blood pressure, and narrow the arteries, raising the risk of a heart attack. In some cases, it can cause seizures or stop their breathing.
While most of the ingestions were associated with no or minor effects, the study found over 1,600 kids had serious outcomes. There were 39 cases with major effects. And sadly, two one-year-old boys died after getting into liquid nicotine.
To help keep your kids safe, don’t use nicotine products in front of them. Kids copy what they see, and if it looks like candy, they’ll want to try it. Always store pouches and other nicotine products up high, or better yet, locked away. And make sure grandparents, babysitters, and other adults follow the same rules.
These products may not look dangerous, but they’re absolutely not safe for kids. If your child swallows any nicotine product, call Poison Control right away at 1-800-222-1222.
